Inklingo

How to Say "forgetfulness" in Spanish

The Spanish word forforgetfulnessis olvidoB1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.

English → SpanishB1

olvido

nounB1
The state of being unable to remember.
A simple figure stands watching as a stylized, bright yellow object, representing a memory, floats away from their open hand and dissolves into soft white mist, symbolizing forgetfulness.

Examples

Su nombre cayó en el olvido después de que se retiró.

His name fell into oblivion after he retired.

El olvido de las llaves fue un problema menor.

The forgetfulness of the keys was a minor problem.

Pido perdón por mi olvido; lo apunté en mi agenda.

I ask for forgiveness for my lapse (of memory); I wrote it down in my planner.

Masculine Noun

Even though many Spanish nouns ending in '-o' are masculine, remember that 'olvido' requires the masculine article: 'el olvido'.

Noun vs. Verb Form

Mistake:Using 'olvido' when you mean the verb 'olvidar': 'Yo olvido de comprar pan.'

Correction: 'Olvido' is a noun (the act of forgetting). When you want to say 'I forget,' you use the verb form: 'Yo olvido comprar pan.' (or better, 'Se me olvida...')

Related Translations

Learn Spanish with Inklingo

Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.