忘记 (wàng jì) — to forget

Definition

忘记 means 'to forget' something — concrete or simple things in everyday talk. 忘 is the bare single-character form used the same way; 遗忘 is formal/written, for abstract or weighty matters. Its opposite is 记得.

verb
to forget
Easily confused

Examples

  • 忘记。
    Wǒ wàng jì dài shū le.
    I forgot to bring my book.
  • 忘记。
    Tā wàng jì le wǒ de míng zì.
    She forgot my name.
  • 忘记。
    Bú yào wàng jì dǎ diàn huà.
    Don't forget to make a phone call.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

忘wàngforget
记jìremember

The sense of forget comes from 忘; 记 is redundant here and does not add remember.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
亡
亡wáng忘wàng
Same sound today

忘 combines 亡, which gives the sound, with 心 (“heart”), showing the sense is about the heart or mind.

Open 忘 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 記; 记 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánspeech; words
Sound part声符shēngfú
己
己jǐ記jì
Same sound today

The traditional form 記 pairs 言 (speech; words) with 己 as a sound part; the simplified 记 is a later shorthand, so its right side is not the historical component.

Open 记 →
Appears in
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