잊다
itda
To forget in Korean is 잊다 (itda).
The term 잊다 is the standard verb for forgetting information or a fact. It can also be used to mean neglecting or disregarding a duty or a person. For a different way to express this, you can use the phrase 기억이 안 나다, which means 'to not remember' and is suitable for both formal and informal situations.
Which one should you use?
While 잊다 is the standard form for forgetting facts, 잊어버리다 is a compound verb frequently used to emphasize the completed action of forgetting or the sense that something has been lost. In contrast, 까먹다 is a casual expression specifically used among friends and peers. For a more formal tone, use 망각하다.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form 잊어버리다 is a colloquial compound verb often used instead of 잊다 to stress that the forgetting is complete or permanent. To state that the act of forgetting has already happened, use the past tense form 잊었다.
How do you pronounce it?
itda
Did you know?
- The casual term 까먹다 literally means 'to peel and eat'. It treats a memory like a piece of fruit that has been stripped away or consumed until nothing is left.
- While 잊다 is used for forgetting a fact, the phrase 기억이 안 나다 literally means 'memory does not come out'. This frames forgetting as a failure of the memory to emerge rather than a loss of information.
- The earliest written record of the word 잊다 appears in the 1447 poem 'Yongbi eocheon-ga', one of the most important historical texts in the Korean language.
Examples in context
- 제 생일을 완전히 잊어버렸어요.I completely forgot my birthday.
- 그 사건을 망각했어요.I forgot about that incident.
- 어제 뭐 했었는지 잊어버렸어.I forgot what I did yesterday.
- 그 사실을 잊었어요.I forgot that fact.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 잊다, CC BY-SA 4.0.
