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"Forget" is to fail to remember something; "forgive" is to pardon someone.
Side-by-side comparison
"Forget" means to fail to remember: something leaves your memory or you fail to do something. "I forgot your birthday" = I did not remember your birthday.
I forgot my wallet at home. Can you lend me some cash?
Do not forget to call me when you arrive.
She forgot his birthday and felt terrible about it.
"Forgive" means to pardon: you release someone from blame for something wrong they did. "I forgive you" = I pardon you. It is a voluntary act, not an involuntary one.
I forgave him for what he did, but I will never forget it.
Can you forgive me? I should not have said that.
It is hard to forgive someone who never apologizes.
Common mistake
"Forget me" when asking for pardon is a very uncomfortable error: "forget me" = let me fade from your memory. "Forgive me" = pardon me. They are opposite in meaning. The trap is that both start with "for-".
Trick to remember it
- •"forGET" contains GET: you are losing something from memory.
- •"forGIVE" contains GIVE: you are giving something (pardon) to someone.
- •If you want to give something (forgiveness): "forgive".
- •If something leaves your mind: "forget".
Quick rule
- •"Forget" = to lose from memory.
- •"Forgive" = to pardon (give forgiveness to someone).
Did you know?
"Forget-me-not" is a small blue flower whose name in English is literally a request. The best-known legend tells of a medieval knight falling into a river who threw the flower to his beloved crying "forget me not." The name passed into other languages: "Vergissmeinnicht" in German, "ne m'oubliez pas" in French. In English, "forget me not" is a plea to be REMEMBERED, the exact opposite of "forgive me" (to be pardoned).
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
She said she could never _____ him for what he did. She was still angry years later.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
Don't _____ to call me when you arrive! I'll be worried otherwise.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
"Mind" expresses that something bothers or inconveniences you; "matter" expresses that something has importance or relevance.
One is recalling something yourself, the other is making someone else recall it.
"Remember" is to have something in memory; "recall" is the active effort of bringing something back to mind.
"Above" is at a higher level without contact; "over" implies covering, movement, or crossing.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy