olvidamos

Olvidamos is the first-person plural form of the Spanish verb olvidar. In present tense, it corresponds to nosotros olvidamos and means “we forget” or “we are forgetting.” It can also function as the simple past tense form (pretérito perfecto simple) in contexts that use the same spelling, meaning “we forgot.” The exact temporal meaning depends on context and accompanying time markers.

As an -ar verb, olvidar follows regular conjugation patterns. Key present tense forms include yo olvido, tú olvidas, él/ella/usted olvida, nosotros/nosotras olvidamos, vosotros/vosotras olvidáis, ellos/ellas/ustedes olvidan. In the pretérito, the corresponding forms include olvidé, olvidaste, olvidó, olvidamos, olvidasteis, olvidaron; note that the form olvidamos is used for the first-person plural in both present and past, and is distinguished by context.

Etymology traces olvidar back to Latin oblivīscī, meaning to forget, related to the concept of oblivion. The Spanish verb developed from this root through the evolution of Romance languages, with cognates in other languages that express forgetting or oblivion.

Usage notes: olvidar describes forgetting things (olvidamos las llaves) and forgetting to perform actions (olvidamos de llamar, though more common is se nos olvidó llamar). The reflexive construction se nos olvidó emphasizes an involuntary or unintentional forgetfulness. In neutral, formal writing, olvidar and olvidamos are used as standard verbs to convey forgetfulness or failure to recall.

See also: olvidar, memoria, olvido, se nos olvidó.