to forget
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to forget
To no longer be able to remember something or someone; to no longer have a piece of information in your memory.
Ich habe komplett vergessen, wo ich meine Schlüssel hingelegt habe.
I completely forgot where I put my keys.
to forget
To fail to do or take something because you did not think of it.
Vergiss bitte nicht, die Blumen zu gießen!
Please don't forget to water the flowers!
to lose control
To lose self-control and behave inappropriately or indecently.
Im Zorn hat er sich völlig vergessen und wurde beleidigend.
In his anger, he completely lost control and became insulting.
The prefix 'ver-' is inseparable and always stays attached to the verb. This prefix often suggests that something is lost or done incorrectly, which fits well with the meaning of 'vergessen' (to forget).
Er hat seinen Regenschirm im Zug vergessen.
He forgot his umbrella on the train.
There are two important constructions to distinguish: When you forget a piece of information, you use a noun in the accusative. When you forget to carry out an action, you use 'zu' + infinitive.
Ich habe seinen Namen vergessen.
I forgot his name.
When it is about no longer remembering something, 'vergessen' (to forget) is often combined with everyday things: 'einen Namen vergessen' (to forget a name), 'einen Termin vergessen' (to forget an appointment), 'den Geburtstag vergessen' (to forget the birthday), or 'die Hausaufgaben vergessen' (to forget the homework).
Oh nein, ich habe unseren Hochzeitstag vergessen!
Oh no, I forgot our wedding anniversary!
The reflexive form 'sich vergessen' has a special meaning: to lose self-control. The reflexive pronoun 'sich' is a fixed part here and is in the accusative.
Auf der Party hat er sich leider völlig vergessen und wurde sehr laut.
At the party, he unfortunately completely lost control and became very loud.
to be canceled / to slip one's mind / to fall to
Both words can express that information is no longer in someone’s memory. With vergessen, the person is the subject and the information is the object. With entfallen, the information is the subject and the person is in the dative; this form sounds more elevated.
Ich habe den Namen des neuen Kollegen vergessen.
I forgot the new colleague’s name.
Der Name des neuen Kollegen ist mir entfallen.
The new colleague’s name slipped my mind.
