to neglect
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to neglect
To not take sufficient care of someone or something, or to not give them the necessary attention.
Seit er den neuen Job hat, vernachlässigt er seine alten Freunde.
Since he got the new job, he has been neglecting his old friends.
The verb 'vernachlässigen' (to neglect) is closely related to the adjective 'nachlässig' (careless, negligent). Someone who neglects something acts carelessly.
Er ist sehr nachlässig mit seinen Aufgaben.
He is very careless with his tasks.
'Vernachlässigen' (to neglect) is an inseparable verb. The prefix 'ver-' always stays at the beginning of the verb, even in the past participle (vernachlässigt).
Sie hat ihr Studium in letzter Zeit stark vernachlässigt.
She has been seriously neglecting her studies lately.
When it is about caring for living beings or things, typical objects are: children, pets, plants, the house, or friendships.
Der alte Garten sieht sehr vernachlässigt aus.
The old garden looks very neglected.
In relation to duties or abstract things, the verb is often combined with: work, school, health, hobbies, or duties.
Trotz des vielen Stresses versuche ich, meine Hobbys nicht zu vernachlässigen.
Despite all the stress, I try not to neglect my hobbies.
This meaning is used almost only in scientific or technical contexts such as mathematics, physics, or statistics. It means that a value is too small to be relevant for a calculation.
Für diese Formel können wir den Einfluss der Temperatur vernachlässigen.
For this formula, we can neglect the influence of temperature.
to forget
'vergessen' and 'vernachlässigen' can both mean that something does not happen or does not get done. The difference is the reason and the length of time. 'vergessen' is used when someone simply did not think of it, often as a one-time thing. 'vernachlässigen' fits better when someone does not take enough care of something or gives too little attention to a duty, often over a longer period of time. Learners may confuse the words because in the end, something is missing in both cases. In practice: if you accidentally did not think of it, use 'vergessen'. If you did not take enough care of it, use 'vernachlässigen'.
Vor der Prüfung vernachlässigt Max seinen Schlaf und ist deshalb oft müde.
Before the exam, Max neglects his sleep and is therefore often tired.
Beim Einkaufen hat sie zur Sicherheit ihre Liste mitgenommen, aber die Milch trotzdem vergessen.
When shopping, she took her list with her just to be safe, but still forgot the milk.