Olvidan

Olvidan is a Spanish verb form meaning “they forget” and, in Latin American Spanish, also “you (plural) forget” when referring to ustedes. It is the third-person plural present indicative form of the verb olvidar. The infinitive is olvidar, a regular -ar verb. The form reflects the root olvid- plus the present plural ending -an for ellos/ellas/ustedes.

Conjugation in the present tense is: yo olvido, tú olvidas, él/ella/usted olvida, nosotros olvidamos, vosotros olvidáis, ellos/ellas/ustedes olvidan. Regional variation exists: in Spain, vosotros olvidáis is used for the second person plural.

Usage and nuances: olvidar denotes the act of forgetting, memory lapses, or failing to remember something. It can describe forgetting information, objects, or plans, as well as neglecting duties or commitments. Examples include: “Ellos olvidan las llaves” (They forget the keys) and “No olvidan llamar al terminar” (They do not forget to call when they finish). The verb can be paired with prepositions or incorporated into negative constructions to emphasize memory lapse or careless omission.

Related forms and etymology: the noun olvid o refers to a memory lapse or act of forgetting, and olvidar has the adjective olvidable meaning forgettable. The reflexive form olvidar se, as in olvidarse de, means to forget about something or to forget to do something. Etymologically, olvidar derives from Latin oblivisci/oblivīscī, meaning to forget, via Old Spanish development into olvidar.

See also: olvidar, olvido, olvidable, olvidarse.