mong4 gei3忘記忘记
Jyutpingmong4 gei3
Yalemòhng gei
Definition
To forget; to be unable to recall.
colloquialdaily actionscommunication
How it's used
While 忘記 is understood in Cantonese, it sounds formal or written. In daily speech, native speakers almost exclusively use 唔記得 to express forgetting something. Using 忘記 in casual conversation can make you sound like you are reading from a textbook or a news script.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often try to use 忘記 as a direct translation of forget, but it lacks the natural flow of 唔記得. Additionally, remember that 唔記得 is a verb phrase that functions as a state of mind, so it is rarely used in the imperative form.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
