vergeten

Vergeten is a Dutch verb meaning to forget or to fail to remember. It is used to indicate that someone does not recall a memory or did not recall something that should have been remembered. The verb can take a direct object, as in Ik ben mijn sleutels vergeten, or be used with an infinitive clause to express forgetting to perform an action, as in Ik ben vergeten het rapport te sturen.

Conjugation and forms: Vergeten is irregular in the past tense. Present tense: ik vergeet, jij vergeet, hij/zij vergeet, wij vergeten, jullie vergeten, zij vergeten. Simple past: ik vergat, jij vergat, hij/zij vergat, wij vergaten, jullie vergaten, zij vergaten. Past participle: vergeten. Perfect tense: ik heb vergeten, jij hebt vergeten, hij heeft vergeten, wij hebben vergeten, jullie hebben vergeten, zij hebben vergeten.

Usage notes: Vergeten can take a direct object (forgot something) or be used with infinitives to describe forgetting to do something. Common constructions are vergeten te + infinitive (Ik ben vergeten het bericht te sturen) and vergeten om + infinitive (less common but heard in speech). The imperative form Vergeet niet! means Don’t forget, and Niet te vergeten is a fixed expression meaning not to forget or, more broadly, not to overlook.

Adjective and related forms: Vergeten can function as a past participle, used attributively to mean forgotten, as in een vergeten brief. Related terms include vergetelheid (forgetfulness) and vergetelijk (forgettable, though usage varies).

Overall, vergeten is a basic, widely used verb with irregular past forms and common infinitive constructions, essential for everyday memory and task-related expressions.