我忘了
wǒ wàngle
I forgot
我忘了 (wǒ wàngle) means "I forgot" and is used to confess that something slipped your mind. The particle 了 indicates a change of state, from remembering to forgetting.
What does 我忘了 (wǒ wàngle) mean?
我忘了 (wǒ wàngle) means “I forgot” in English.
When to use it
Neutral and common. To emphasize that you completely forgot, you can say 我完全忘了 (wǒ wánquán wàngle). If you are trying to recall something, you might say 我想不起来了 (wǒ xiǎng bu qǐlái le), meaning "I can't recall it."
How to pronounce it
Sounds like “waw WAHNG-luh.” The first character has a third tone, and the second character has a fourth tone, followed by a neutral tone.
Other ways to say it
- 我忘记了wǒ wàngjì leI forgot (slightly more formal)
- 我没记住wǒ méi jìzhùI didn't remember/memorize
- 我完全忘了wǒ wánquán wàngleI completely forgot
Examples
对不起，我忘了你的生日。
duìbuqǐ, wǒ wàngle nǐ de shēngrì.
Sorry, I forgot your birthday.
我忘了带钥匙了。
wǒ wàngle dài yàoshi le.
I forgot to bring my keys.
你提醒我一下，我忘了。
nǐ tíxǐng wǒ yīxià, wǒ wàngle.
Remind me, I forgot.
Pro tip: The 了 (le) in 我忘了 is essential; it marks the completion of the action of forgetting or a change of state, indicating that you are now in a state of having forgotten.
Related phrases
我知道 · I know我不知道 · I don't know让我想想 · Let me think
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