vergessen vs entfallen
German word comparison
Listen to vergessen
Listen to entfallen
| vergessen | entfallen |
|---|---|
ver-GESS-en verb | /ɛntˈfalən/ (ent-FAH-len) verb |
| to forget; to fail to remember or to leave something behind unintentionally | to slip one's mind; to be omitted or to be forgotten (usually said impersonally: 'it slipped my mind'). |
How they differ
Entfallen is used when something 'slips the mind' or is omitted from a plan/list; it focuses on a memory lapse or omission rather than the broader idea of forgetting or leaving something behind implied by 'vergessen'.
When to use each
When to use vergessen: Prefer 'vergessen' when you mean a general failure to remember or when you physically leave something behind.
When to use entfallen: Use 'entfallen' when you want to say that a detail literally slipped your mind or that an item was omitted from a list or plan.
Side-by-side examples
- Ich habe meinen Schlüssel vergessen.
(I forgot my key.) - Der Name des Restaurants ist mir entfallen.
(The name of the restaurant slipped my mind.)
Register & nuance: Entfallen is neutral and common in both spoken and written German, often used in the fixed formula 'es ist mir entfallen'.