(no subject)

[battersby.livejournal.com]

What is the best way of saying "I forgot"? I know how to say "I don't know," but at times, I'd rather say "I forgot." Thank you!

Comments

[ex-nobodyel.livejournal.com]

Я забыл (Ya zabyl)?

[http://users.livejournal.com/_virusman_/]

Or just "забыл"/"забыла".

[hellga.livejournal.com]

"Я забыл(а)" is "I forgot"
"Я не помню" is "I don't remember" and also can be "I can't remember"
"Я не могу вспомнить" is also "I can't remember"

[orloffm.livejournal.com]

"У меня из головы вылетело"

[philena.livejournal.com]

Hehe. Is that idiomatic, or are you just playing?

[gera.livejournal.com]

It's an idiom.

[orloffm.livejournal.com]

That is the very popular answer for "Why haven't you done it?"

[juniper949.livejournal.com]

I've also heard people say "iz goloby byletel/a" without the "u menya"

Sorry for the transliteration - I don't have Russian font installed yet.

[wolfie-18.livejournal.com]

Well, just remember when to use the perfective and imperfective.
If someone told you
"Do you remember how to do so-and-so?"
you'll say "Я забыл,"
BUT if you're talking to someone and suddenly remember something, you say
"Я забывал тебе рассказать о (something)," which has the meaning of
"I forgot (but now remember) to tell you about so-and-so."

[oryx_and_crake]

You can only say я забывал рассказать if you did it several times.
Otherwise я забыл тебе рассказать, а теперь вспомнил is perfectly OK.