Esquecer
to forget
Presente
Current actions, habits, and general truths.
| eu | esqueço | Eu esqueço onde coloco as chaves com uma consistência alarmante. — I forget where I put my keys with alarming consistency. |
| você/ele/ela | esquece | Ela esquece os nomes mas nunca os rostos. — She forgets names but never faces. |
| nós | esquecemos | Nós esquecemos o que foi difícil mais rápido do que deveríamos. — We forget what was difficult faster than we should. |
| eles/elas | esquecem | Eles esquecem o guarda-chuva toda vez que chove. — They forget the umbrella every time it rains. |
I forget appointments but never how people make me feel. My friend forgets grievances with an agility I respect — and sometimes envy. We forget what doesn't serve us and that is wisdom, not carelessness. Memory forgets out of mercy too.
Pret. Perfeito
Completed past actions — what happened.
| eu | esqueci | Eu esqueci o aniversário da minha melhor amiga — uma vez. — I forgot my best friend's birthday — once. |
| você/ele/ela | esqueceu | Ela esqueceu de desligar o fogão — e foi a vizinha que avistou. — She forgot to turn off the cooker — and it was the neighbour who noticed. |
| nós | esquecemos | Nós esquecemos de reservar mesa e acabamos no chão do picnic. — We forgot to book a table and ended up on the picnic blanket. |
| eles/elas | esqueceram | Eles esqueceram onde estacionaram e passaram uma hora procurando. — They forgot where they parked and spent an hour looking. |
The day had so many tasks I forgot to eat. My colleague forgot her bag in the taxi and the driver came back to return it. We forgot to celebrate the achievement — we only noticed the next day. Those who forgot their grudges first were the ones who moved forward fastest.
Pret. Imperfeito
Ongoing or habitual past — what used to happen or was happening.
| eu | esquecia | Eu esquecia o material de aula com uma frequência que irritava minha mãe. — I used to forget school materials with a frequency that irritated my mum. |
| você/ele/ela | esquecia | Ela esquecia as mágoas com uma facilidade que eu invejo. — She used to forget grievances with an ease I envy. |
| nós | esquecíamos | Nós esquecíamos as brigas quando chegava a hora do almoço. — We used to forget arguments by lunchtime. |
| eles/elas | esqueciam | Eles esqueciam o relógio quando estavam bem. — They used to forget the time when they were happy. |
In adolescence, I used to forget to call my mum when I arrived — and she never forgot to ask. I used to forget homework but remembered all the lyrics of the current songs. My friend used to forget the rules with an artistry I didn't have. We used to forget our problems when music played.
Futuro Informal
Plans and intentions — "going to." The most common future form in spoken BR Portuguese.
| eu | vou esquecer | Vou esquecer os erros que não posso mudar — e focar no que posso. — I'm going to forget the mistakes I can't change — and focus on what I can. |
| você/ele/ela | vai esquecer | Ela vai esquecer o trauma com tempo e cuidado. — She's going to forget the trauma with time and care. |
| nós | vamos esquecer | Vamos esquecer a senha e vamos ter que ligar para o suporte. — We're going to forget the password and will have to call support. |
| eles/elas | vão esquecer | Eles vão esquecer este contratempo — é menor do que parece. — They're going to forget this setback — it's smaller than it seems. |
The fresh start is coming. I'm going to forget what I can't change — it's not surrender, it's mental hygiene. My friend is going to forget what she needed to forget a long time ago. We're going to forget the resentment and remember only the learning. Those who are going to forget their grievances fastest are going to walk lighter.
Futuro Formal
Formal future — "shall/will." More common in writing than speech.
| eu | esquecerei | Esquecerei o suficiente para seguir em frente. — I will forget enough to move forward. |
| você/ele/ela | esquecerá | Ela esquecerá as palavras duras quando o tempo agir. — She will forget the harsh words when time acts. |
| nós | esqueceremos | Esqueceremos os detalhes mas guardaremos o sentimento. — We will forget the details but keep the feeling. |
| eles/elas | esquecerão | Eles esquecerão o caminho se não praticarem. — They will forget the route if they don't practise. |
The communiqué was clear: Participants will forget their phones outside the session. We will forget hierarchies while we are in this space. Sensitive content will not find its way out of this room. I will personally forget my roles and be just another participant.
Condicional
Hypotheticals and polite requests — "would."
| eu | esqueceria | Eu esqueceria mais rápido se não ficasse relendo as mensagens antigas. — I would forget faster if I stopped re-reading old messages. |
| você/ele/ela | esqueceria | Ela esqueceria com mais facilidade se perdoasse de verdade. — She would forget more easily if she truly forgave. |
| nós | esqueceríamos | Esqueceríamos menos se anotássemos mais. — We would forget less if we wrote things down more. |
| eles/elas | esqueceriam | Eles esqueceriam o conflito mais rápido com uma conversa honesta. — They would forget the conflict faster with an honest conversation. |
If resentment expired like milk, I would forget faster. My friend would forget the old hurt if someone truly apologised. We would forget faster if we knew that forgetting is not betrayal. People would forget better if forgiveness were taught as a skill.
Esquecer across the tenses
A short story using esquecer in multiple tenses
Minha avó esquecia nomes mas nunca o cheiro das pessoas. Dizia que o nariz lembra quando a cabeça esquece. Nós esquecíamos o que ela esquecia junto — era gentileza, não engano.
Hoje eu esqueço compromissos mas não conversas importantes. Ontem esqueci o guarda-chuva e cheguei encharcada — mas lembrei exatamente como me senti dentro daquela chuva inesperada. Esquecemos o que a memória decide que não cabe mais — e ela sabe mais do que a gente.
No próximo ano, vou esquecer o que me impede de avançar. Se conseguir, esquecerei com intenção — não por descuido.
Perguntei a ela o que esqueceria se pudesse apagar uma coisa. Ela pensou muito: Esqueceria as palavras duras que ouvi e guardo sem querer. As que doem não pedem licença para ficar.
My grandmother used to forget names but never the scent of people. She used to say that the nose remembers when the head forgets. We used to forget what she forgot alongside her — it was kindness, not deception. Today I forget appointments but not important conversations. Yesterday I forgot my umbrella and arrived soaked — but I remembered exactly how I felt inside that unexpected rain. We forget what memory decides no longer fits — and it knows more than we do. Next year, I'm going to forget what is holding me back. If I manage it, I will forget with intention — not by carelessness. I asked her what she would forget if she could erase one thing. She thought for a long time: I would forget the harsh words I heard and keep without wanting to. The ones that hurt don't ask permission to stay.
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