General Forgetfulness:
* 忘记 (wàng jì): This is the most common and general way to say "forget."
* Example: 我忘记了你的生日。 (Wǒ wàng jì le nǐ de shēng rì.) - I forgot your birthday.
Intentional Forgetfulness:
* 忘掉 (wàng diào): This emphasizes the act of deliberately trying to forget something.
* Example: 我想忘掉那些痛苦的回忆。 (Wǒ xiǎng wàng diào nà xiē tòng kǔ de huí yì.) - I want to forget those painful memories.
To Forget to Do Something:
* 忘了 (wàng le): This is a more casual way to say "forgot" and is often used when talking about forgetting to do something.
* Example: 我忘了带钥匙。 (Wǒ wàng le dài yào shi.) - I forgot to bring my keys.
To Forget About Something:
* 没想起来 (méi xiǎng qǐ lái): This literally means "didn't think of it" and is used when you forgot about something that you should have remembered.
* Example: 我没想起来今天是你的生日。 (Wǒ méi xiǎng qǐ lái jīntiān shì nǐ de shēng rì.) - I didn't remember it was your birthday today.
To Forget Someone:
* 忘记 (wàng jì): You can use "忘记" to say you forgot someone, but it's not a very common expression.
* Example: 我忘记了他的名字。 (Wǒ wàng jì le tā de míng zi.) - I forgot his name.
Other Considerations:
* Context is key: The best way to say "forget" in Mandarin depends on the specific situation.
* Formal vs. informal: Some expressions are more formal than others.
* Tonal variations: Mandarin is a tonal language, so the pronunciation of each word is important.
Remember, it's always helpful to consider the context and the intended meaning when choosing the best Mandarin word to convey "forget."