Key Facts
- Hangul: 잊다 (itda)
- Meaning: to forget
- Part of speech: verb (동사)
- Level: A2
- Stem: 잊
- Class: regular
- Polite present: 잊어요
- Polite past: 잊었어요
- Formal present: 잊습니다
- Objects: transitive
Forget in Korean: What Does 잊다 Mean?
- to forget. Used for forgetting information, events or feelings: 약속을 잊다.
Particles. What you forget takes the object particle 을/를: 약속을 잊다 (to forget an appointment).
How Do You Pronounce 잊다?
잊다 is pronounced [읻따]: at the end of a syllable ㅈ sounds like [ㄷ], and it makes the next consonant tense. Its Revised Romanization is itda. Before a vowel the ㅈ moves into the next syllable (standard pronunciation rules of the 국립국어원):
- 잊어요 sounds like [이저요]
- 잊었어요 sounds like [이저써요]
- 잊을 거예요 sounds like [이즐꺼예요]
- 잊겠어요 sounds like [읻께써요]
- 잊습니다 sounds like [읻씀니다]
How Do You Use 잊다 in a Sentence?
비밀번호를 잊었어요.
I forgot the password.
Form shown: polite past (잊었어요).
그 일은 곧 잊을 거예요.
I will forget that soon.
Form shown: polite future, plan (잊을 거예요).
저는 그 약속을 잊지 않아요.
I won't forget that promise.
Form shown: long negative (잊지 않아요). The present tense here expresses a firm intention.
What Are the Forms of 잊다?
잊다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 잊어요 | ||
| Polite past | 잊었어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 잊을 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 잊겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 잊습니다 | ||
| Formal past | 잊었습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 잊을 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 잊어 | ||
| Casual past | 잊었어 | ||
| Casual future | 잊을 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 잊고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 잊으세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 잊어서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 잊으면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 잊는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 잊은 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 잊을 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 잊어요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 잊지 않아요 |
| Form | Korean | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 잊어요 | [이저요] |
| Polite past | 잊었어요 | [이저써요] |
| Polite future (plan) | 잊을 거예요 | [이즐꺼예요] |
| Polite future (guess) | 잊겠어요 | [읻께써요] |
| Formal present | 잊습니다 | [읻씀니다] |
| Formal past | 잊었습니다 | [이젇씀니다] |
| Formal future | 잊을 것입니다 | [이즐꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 잊어 | [이저] |
| Casual past | 잊었어 | [이저써] |
| Casual future | 잊을 거야 | [이즐꺼야] |
| Want to (polite) | 잊고 싶어요 | [읻꼬 시퍼요] |
| Honorific polite | 잊으세요 | [이즈세요] |
| Because / and then | 잊어서 | [이저서] |
| If (conditional) | 잊으면 | [이즈면] |
| Present modifier | 잊는 | [인는] |
| Past modifier | 잊은 | [이즌] |
| Future modifier | 잊을 | [이즐] |
| Short negative | 안 잊어요 | [안 이저요] |
| Long negative | 잊지 않아요 | [읻찌 아나요] |
Is 잊다 Regular or Irregular?
잊다 is regular: the stem 잊 never changes, and you simply add the ending: 잊어요, 잊었어요, 잊으면. Lesson: polite present recipe. Tool: conjugator.
What Is the Most Common Mistake with 잊다?
Wrong: ✗ 지갑을 잊었어요 (when you mean 'I lost my wallet')
Correct: ✓ 지갑을 잃어버렸어요
Why: 잊다 is for forgetting information, plans and memories. When an object has gone missing, use 잃어버리다 (to lose). The two look alike because 잊 and 잃 differ only in the final consonant.
How Is 잊다 Different from Similar Words?
| Word | How it differs from 잊다 |
|---|---|
| 잃어버리다 | 잃어버리다 is to lose an object; 잊다 is to forget information or a memory. |
| 기억하다 | 기억하다 is the opposite: to remember. |
A Password Problem before Class
Mina cannot sign into the classroom computer. Jisu responds to the completed lapse with 잊었어요 and then describes an occasional habit with 잊어요.
Mina
비밀번호를 잊었어요.
Bimilbeonhoreul ijeosseoyo.
I forgot the password.
Jisu
저도 가끔 잊어요.
Jeodo gakkeum ijeoyo.
I forget sometimes too.
Mina
지금은 어떻게 해요?
Jigeumeun eotteoke haeyo?
What do I do now?
Jisu
비밀번호를 다시 설정하세요.
Bimilbeonhoreul dasi seoljeonghaseyo.
Reset the password.
가끔 means “sometimes”, so the second line is about recurring experience. The password itself is still the object even though it is left out of that reply. The speakers know which information has slipped from memory.
Forgetting Information, an Appointment, or an Experience
비밀번호를 잊다 means to forget a password. 이름을 잊다 means to forget a name. These combinations describe information that you cannot bring to mind; no physical object has necessarily gone missing.
약속을 잊다 can mean to forget an appointment or a promise. The noun 약속 covers both an arrangement to meet and a commitment. A sentence about missing a meeting time points toward an appointment; a sentence about keeping your word points toward a promise.
그 일을 잊다 means to forget that event or matter. This is broader than forgetting a fact. In emotional dialogue, 잊고 싶어요 can mean that someone wants to put a painful experience behind them. The wish does not imply that forgetting is easy or fully under their control.
잊어버리다 is a common longer version. 버리다 can add a sense that the forgetting is complete or regrettable. In everyday explanations of a lapse, both verbs can refer to the same forgotten password; the longer word does not require a different kind of memory.
Expressions in Reminders and Emotional Scenes
잊지 마세요 means “don’t forget”. It combines 잊다 with a negative request, so it asks the listener to remember something. You may hear it before a deadline, a meeting, or a task that needs attention.
잊지 않아요 is a statement: “I don’t forget”, or in a suitable context, “I won’t forget”. Compare the existing promise example with 잊지 마세요. One describes the speaker’s own remembering; the other directs the listener.
꿈에도 잊지 못하다 literally evokes being unable to forget even in a dream. It means that someone or something is unforgettable, often because of deep attachment or gratitude. This is more emotional than reporting that you forgot a login detail.
With an object such as a wallet, 잊다 can concern forgetting to bring it or forgetting about it. That differs from reporting that it is missing. If you know where the wallet is and simply left home without it, the problem is remembering, rather than loss.
Sound Changes without a Spelling Change
The ㅈ in 잊 remains in every written form. Before a vowel, you hear it in 잊어요. Before ㄴ, the sound changes in 잊는, pronounced [인는]. That nasal sound does not turn the written stem into 인.
잊은 and 잊는 both come before nouns, but the timing differs. 잊은 이름 means “a name someone has forgotten”, with the forgetting treated as completed. The modifier 잊는 describes an action viewed as present or habitual. Choose the modifier by the event you mean, rather than by the English tense of the whole sentence.
Keep a space in 잊고 싶어요 and 잊지 않아요. The first expresses a wish to forget; the second denies forgetting. Their endings carry different messages even though both start with the same stem.
Where Will You Hear 잊다?
Everyday apologies use the past 잊었어요 when someone has overlooked information or an arrangement. Reminders use 잊지 마세요 to prevent that lapse. Songs and dramas often use 잊다 for memories of a person or relationship, where “forget” includes emotional letting go.
| Related word | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 기억 | memory / remembering | The noun inside 기억하다, to remember. |
| 비밀번호 | password / PIN | A typical object when explaining a login problem. |
| 약속 | appointment / promise | Context tells you which commitment was forgotten. |
| 메모 | note / memo | Something you can make to help remember details. |
The office vocabulary lesson covers notes, schedules, and communication at work.
Mini Drill: Choose the Memory Form
- Give the polite past of 잊다.
- Give the present modifier, keeping its correct spelling.
- Say “I want to forget”.
- Choose 잊다 or 잃어버리다 for a missing key.
Show drill answers
- 잊었어요.
- 잊는; its pronunciation is [인는].
- 잊고 싶어요.
- 잃어버리다, if the key itself is lost.
Quick Self-Test
- Is 잊지 마세요 a statement or a request?
- Which can 약속 mean: an appointment, a promise, or both?
- Does 잊고 싶어요 always concern a forgotten fact?
Show answers
- A request: “don’t forget”.
- Both; the situation tells you which.
- No. It can express a wish to move beyond an emotional memory.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 잊다 Regular or Irregular?
잊다 is regular. The stem 잊 does not change, so the polite present is 잊어요 and the polite past is 잊었어요.
How Do You Say "I Forgot the Password" in Korean?
Say 비밀번호를 잊었어요. The verb is in the polite past form, 잊었어요, and 비밀번호 (password) takes the object particle 를.
How Do You Make 잊다 Negative?
There are two ways. The short negative puts 안 in front of the verb: 안 잊어요. The long negative is 잊지 않아요, as in 저는 그 약속을 잊지 않아요 (I won't forget that promise).
How Do You Say "I Want to Forget" with 잊다?
Add 고 싶어요 to the stem: 잊고 싶어요, pronounced [읻꼬 시퍼요].
Which Particles Go with 잊다?
What you forget takes the object particle 을/를: 약속을 잊다 (to forget an appointment).
What Is the Difference between 잊다 and 잃어버리다?
잊다 is to forget information or a memory; 잃어버리다 is to lose an object. Forgetting a password is 잊다, but losing a wallet is 잃어버리다.
Which Words Are Related to 잊다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Next, learn the opposite, 기억하다 (to remember), then 잃어버리다 so that you never mix up forgetting and losing. Or browse the verb dictionary.