How to Say “I Forgot” in Korean – Things You Don’t Remember

Are you a forgetful person? If so, learning how to say “I forgot” in Korean is perfect for you!

The standard way of expressing that you forgot is 잊어버렸어요 (). This is the most common way native speakers express this phrase, so forget everything but this one!

A girl with her hand on top of her head, with a confused expression

With that said, there are a few other ways of saying “I forgot” in Korean, which we will go over in detail below. Let’s get to it!

Quick Summary

✅ There are three different ways to say “I forgot” in Korean, which depends on the level of formality used (formal, standard, or informal).
✅ Another way to express that you forgot is by using the phrase 기억나지 않다 (), which translates to “I don’t remember.”

How to say “I forgot” in Korean

The verb “to forget” in Korean is 잊다 (itda). However, when using this word, it is usually used in a different form. The form that this verb is usually used in is 잊어버리다 (ijeobeorida).

In this article, the word “forget” is used in the past tense (forgot). The past tense of 잊어버리다 (ijeobeorida) is 잊어버렸다 (ijeobeoryeotda).

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Different ways to say “I forgot” in Korean

Besides the first word we taught you earlier, there are also other ways to express if you forgot anything. This depends on the level of formality used.

Formal “I forgot” in Korean

The formal way to say “I forgot” is 잊어버렸습니다 ().

You can use formal Korean in situations such as reports, presentations, and interviews.

If you want to talk about something that you forgot, then use 을/를 (eul/reul) at the end of that word to show that it is the thing that you forgot.

How to Say I Forgot in Korean formal

Example:

안경 가져오는 걸 잊어버렸습니다 (angyeong gajyeooneun geol ijeobeoryeotseumnida)

I forgot my glasses.

Standard “I forgot” in Korean

The standard way is 잊어버렸어요 (ijeobeoryeosseoyo). This version is used when speaking to people who you don’t know well or who are older than you.

How to Say I Forgot in Korean standard

Example:

A: 너 왜 회의에 안 왔니? (neo wae hoeuie an wanni)

Why weren’t you at the meeting?

B: 미안해요, 잊어버렸어요. (mianhaeyo, ijeobeoryeosseoyo )

Sorry, I forgot.

그들이 정확히 어디 사는지 잊어버렸어요 (geudeuri jeonghwaki eodi saneunji ijeobeoryeosseoyo)

I’ve forgotten exactly where they live.

Informal “I forgot” in Korean

You can say 잊어버렸어 () if you’d like to express it informally. However, you can only use informal expressions with people who are close to you and who are of a similar or younger age so use it with caution.

How to Say I Forgot in Korean informalExample:

그 여자의 전화번호를 잊어버렸어 (geu yeojaui jeonhwabeonhoreul ijeobeoryeosseo)

I forgot that girl’s phone number.

편지 쓰는 것을 잊어버렸어 (pyeonji sseuneun geoseul ijeobeoryeosseo)

I forgot to write the letter.

How to say “remember” in Korean

The opposite of “forget’’ is “remember,” which is 기억하다 (gieokada) or 기억나다 (gieongnada) in Korean.

Instead of the word for forget, the expressions below are sometimes used:

“I don’t remember” – 기억 안 나요 (gieok an nayo)

“I can’t remember” – 기억할 수 없어요 (gieokal su eopsseoyo) or 기억 못 해요 (gieok mot haeyo)

Sample sentences:

나 기억해요? (na gieokaeyo)

Do you remember me?

이것만은 기억해 주세요. (igeonmaneun gieokae juseyo)

Just remember this, please.

How to say “Don’t forget” in Korean

To express “don’t forget,” you can say 잊지 마세요 (itji maseyo).

This is sometimes shortened to 잊지 마요 (itji mayo) or spoken informally as 잊지 마 (itji ma).

Many K-pop songs use the phrase “don’t forget” in their lyrics, so you might notice this phrase frequently.

Sample sentences:

우리 추억은 잊지 말자. (uri chueogeun itji malja)

Let’s not forget our memories.

내일 약속 잊지 마세요. (naeil yaksok itji masey)

Don’t forget your appointment tomorrow.

A Word of Caution About Romanization

Romanization can help make studying Korean easier in the short term. However, it is actually far quicker in the long term to learn the Korean alphabet (Hangeul). Learning Hangeul is easy, and the alphabet can be learned in just a couple of hours.

Being able to read Korean allows you to recognize different word and grammar patterns, read street signs and menus, and improve your pronunciation.

If you are serious about learning Korean, why don’t you take a look at our free list of Korean phrases or our full Korean course for all the help you will need when studying Korean?

Wrap Up

Now that you know how to say “I forgot” in Korean, let us know what things you find difficult to remember!

Want more Korean phrases? Go to our Korean Phrases Page for a complete list!

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3 thoughts on “How to Say “I Forgot” in Korean – Things You Don’t Remember”

  1. Hi 90DAY KOREAN…
    I often heard on drama 잊었어 ..
    So what the differences between 잊었어 & 이저버렸어..is it same?
    How to say
    I forgot to put tissue in Korean
    Thanks in advance

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