How to Say ‘I Forgot’ in Korean

Are you forgetful?

Do you often forget to do something or forget how to do something?

Do you sometimes struggle to remember new words that you have learned?

If so, this article is for you!

Today, we’ll teach you how to say ‘I forgot’ in Korean. Let’s jump right into it!

‘I Forgot’ in Korean

To Forget

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).

The opposite of ‘forget’ is ‘remember’, which is 기억하다 (gieokada) or 기억나다 (gieongnada) in Korean. Sometimes, the expressions ‘I don’t remember’ – 기억나지 않다 (gieongnaji anta) or ‘I can’t remember’ – 기억할 수 없다 (gieokal su eopda) / 기억 못하다 (gieok mothada) are used instead of the word for forget.

Many K-pop songs use the phrase ‘don’t forget’ in their lyrics. To say ‘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).

Formal ‘I Forgot’ in Korean

1. 잊어버렸습니다 (ijeobeoryeotseumnida) 

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.

Example:

안경 가져오는 걸 잊어버렸습니다 (angyeong gajyeooneun geol ijeobeoryeotseumnida)

I forgot my glasses.

Standard ‘I Forgot’ in Korean

1. 잊어버렸어요 (ijeobeoryeosseoyo)

Standard Korean is used when speaking to people who you don’t know well or who are older than you.

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

1. 잊어버렸어 (ijeobeoryeosseo)

You can use these expressions with people who are close to you and who are of a similar or younger age.

Example:

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.

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 improves 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.

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