<p>see dictionaries (esp. examples): 忘记    forget disremember 忘记;忽略 lose sight of 
忘:忘却。忘怀。忘我。忘情。忘乎所以, showing <strong>忘</strong> only occurs in a limited number of fixed (time-honored) expressions, including 成语。
<strong>忘记 explained</strong>: 合成词  of type B
（see e.g. 实用汉语语法，词的构成，３。２。合成词的构造方式 ３。２。１。<strong>联合式</strong>合成词。。。B：两个语素的原义发生了变化：有的产生了新义，有的只保留部分原义。如＂东西、开关、矛盾、买卖、<strong>忘记</strong>＂。Also see baike.baidu,<strong>联合型（并列型）</strong>：举例：3.
两词根意结合后，只有一个词根的意项在起主要作用。
例如：国家 人物 <strong>忘记</strong> 没有 质量</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-12-01T17:17:10.607Z
2018-12-01T17:17:10.607Z
user6065
<p>Please read <a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Result_complement" rel="noreferrer">Result complement</a>  </p>

<p>Also <a href="http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/460/" rel="noreferrer">了</a> :  <em>'aspect marker' indicating completed action</em> </p>

<p>'忘' (forget) as a verb cannot be used without a result complement or aspect marker </p>

<p>Example:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>'忘掉' </p>
  
  <p>掉 is the result complement of 忘. </p>
  
  <p>It describes the result of forget is the object is 'forgot away' (from one's mind)</p>
  
  <p>You cannot remove the result complement '掉' from '(忘掉)自己的手電號碼' and write '(忘)自己的手電號碼'</p>
</blockquote>

<p>~</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>'忘了' </p>
  
  <p>了 is a aspect marker that indicates 'completion of an action'</p>
  
  <p>You cannot remove the aspect marker '了' from '(忘了)自己的手電號碼' and write '(忘)自己的手電號碼'</p>
</blockquote>

<p>~~~~~~~~~</p>

<ul>
<li><p>'忘' = 'forget'</p></li>
<li><p>'记' = 'remember/ recollect'</p></li>
<li><p>'<strong>忘记</strong>' (forget to remember) = '<strong>to forget</strong>' </p></li>
</ul>

<p>'忘记' is a compound word verb</p>

<p>It can be used with or without a result complement or aspect marker</p>

<p>Example:</p>

<p>忘记自己的手電號碼 = forget one's own cell-phone number</p>

<p>忘记(掉)自己的手電號碼 = forget one's own cell-phone number (away)</p>

<p>(忘记了)自己的手電號碼 = (forgotten) one's own cell-phone number </p>

<p><em>Terms like '忘本'，'忘情' that directly apply the verb 忘 before a noun, are in effect, compound words  as in "做人<strong>忘本</strong>" (being <strong>ungrateful</strong>), <strong>忘情</strong>演出 (<strong>passionately</strong> perform).</em>  </p>

<p><em>The other cases of 忘 directly apply before a noun are 1. 'in idiomatic form',  like "見利忘義" 2. 'with an adverb',  like 難忘, 不忘, 未忘, and they are all literary terms</em></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-12-01T13:42:22.447Z
2018-12-01T20:22:45.807Z
2018-12-01T20:22:45.807Z
Tang Ho
<p>So is there any differences between 忘 and 忘记？They both mean to forget but do they have any other differences in terms of usage, location within a sentence, etc</p>

<grammar><word-choice>
Difference between 忘 and 忘记
# Difference between 忘 and 忘记

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-12-01)

So is there any differences between 忘 and 忘记？They both mean to forget but do they have any other differences in terms of usage, location within a sentence, etc

**Tags:** grammar, word-choice


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2018-12-01. Score: 8 | Accepted answer

Please read [Result complement](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Result_complement)

Also [了](http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/460/) : *'aspect marker' indicating completed action*

'忘' (forget) as a verb cannot be used without a result complement or aspect marker

Example:

> '忘掉'
>
> 掉 is the result complement of 忘.
>
> It describes the result of forget is the object is 'forgot away' (from one's mind)
>
> You cannot remove the result complement '掉' from '(忘掉)自己的手電號碼' and write '(忘)自己的手電號碼'

~

> '忘了'
>
> 了 is a aspect marker that indicates 'completion of an action'
>
> You cannot remove the aspect marker '了' from '(忘了)自己的手電號碼' and write '(忘)自己的手電號碼'

~~~~~~~~~

* '忘' = 'forget'
* '记' = 'remember/ recollect'
* '**忘记**' (forget to remember) = '**to forget**'

'忘记' is a compound word verb

It can be used with or without a result complement or aspect marker

Example:

忘记自己的手電號碼 = forget one's own cell-phone number

忘记(掉)自己的手電號碼 = forget one's own cell-phone number (away)

(忘记了)自己的手電號碼 = (forgotten) one's own cell-phone number

*Terms like '忘本'，'忘情' that directly apply the verb 忘 before a noun, are in effect, compound words as in "做人**忘本**" (being **ungrateful**), **忘情**演出 (**passionately** perform).*

*The other cases of 忘 directly apply before a noun are 1. 'in idiomatic form', like "見利忘義" 2. 'with an adverb', like 難忘, 不忘, 未忘, and they are all literary terms*


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### Answer by username_1 on 2018-12-01. Score: 3

see dictionaries (esp. examples): 忘记 forget disremember 忘记;忽略 lose sight of
忘:忘却。忘怀。忘我。忘情。忘乎所以, showing **忘** only occurs in a limited number of fixed (time-honored) expressions, including 成语。
**忘记 explained**: 合成词 of type B
（see e.g. 实用汉语语法，词的构成，３。２。合成词的构造方式 ３。２。１。**联合式**合成词。。。B：两个语素的原义发生了变化：有的产生了新义，有的只保留部分原义。如＂东西、开关、矛盾、买卖、**忘记**＂。Also see baike.baidu,**联合型（并列型）**：举例：3.
两词根意结合后，只有一个词根的意项在起主要作用。
例如：国家 人物 **忘记** 没有 质量


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