Definitions

wàng (verb) to forget
wàng (verb) to neglect; to overlook

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "忘", meaning to forget, is etymologically formed from the component "亡", signifying loss or cessation, and "心", representing the heart or mind, thereby conceptually illustrating the disappearance of something from one's memory. Its structural integrity has been maintained over centuries, with the compound clearly conveying the notion of a mental lapse through the interplay of these elements. While the primary sense of forgetting has remained constant, early textual uses occasionally broadened its application to include aspects of neglect or overlooking, indicating a nuanced shift in how the act of forgetting was contextualized within classical thought. This continuity in form and the persistent core meaning underscore the character's stable role in expressing the fundamental human experience of memory loss.

Etymology Hide

Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn (~500 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

记带书了。

Wo wangji dai shu le.

I forgot to bring the book.

了我的名字。

Ta wangle wo de mingzi.

He forgot my name.

请不要记关门。

Qing buyao wangji guan men.

Please do not forget to close the door.

不了那件事。

Wo wang buliao na jian shi.

I cannot forget that matter.

记了自己的生日。

Ta wangjile ziji de shengri.

She forgot her own birthday.

我们不应该记历史。

Women bu yinggai wangji lishi.

We should not forget history.

他沉浸在快乐中,了时间。

Ta chenjin zai kuaile zhong, wangle shijian.

He was immersed in happiness and forgot the time.

即使面对困难,我们也不能记初心。

Jishi miandui kunnan, women ye buneng wangji chuxin.

Even when facing difficulties, we must not forget our original intention.