忘 (wàng) - to forget & to neglect
忘 · wàng
to forget;
to neglect;
to overlook;
to fail to remember.
to forgetto neglectto overlook
Usage highlights
to forgetunforgettableto forget completelyto forget one's rootsto be obliviousto forget favors
Usage & contexts
Examples
- I forgot my keys (忘记钥匙).
- Don't forget to call me (别忘了给我打电话).
- He forgot his promise (他忘了他的承诺).
- This is unforgettable (这是难忘的).
Collocations
- to forget(忘记)
- unforgettable(难忘)
- to forget completely(忘怀)
- to forget one's roots(忘本)
- to be oblivious(忘我)
- to forget favors(忘恩)
Idioms
- Forget sorrows and seek pleasure(忘忧寻乐)
- So happy as to forget all about home(乐不思蜀)
- Forget food and sleep(废寝忘食)
- Forget oneself in one's enthusiasm(忘乎所以)
- Ingratitude(忘恩负义)
Cultural background
FAQ- In Confucian thought, 'forgetting' can be negative when it involves forgetting moral principles or gratitude.
- In Daoism, 'forgetting' (忘) is sometimes seen positively as a means to achieve mental emptiness and spiritual freedom.
- The character combines 'death/loss' (亡) over 'heart/mind' (心), suggesting the loss of something from the heart-mind.