Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Forgetful: Having a tendency or habit of forgetting things frequently; characterized by poor memory or absentmindedness.
   • Amnesic (psychological context): Relating to or experiencing amnesia, a medical condition involving memory loss.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Bà tôi già nên hơi hay quên. (My grandmother is a bit forgetful because she's old.)
  • Dạo này anh ấy làm việc căng thẳng, trở nên hay quên. (He's been stressed at work lately and has become forgetful.)
  • Thuật ngữ "hay quên" đôi khi được dùng trong tâm lý học. (The term "amnésique" is sometimes used in psychology.)

Advanced Usage

• Used to describe a persistent trait or a temporary state of frequently failing to remember.
• Can describe minor, everyday forgetfulness or, in specialized contexts, refer to a clinical condition.

Variants and Related Words

• Đãng trí (adj): Absentminded, forgetful. Often used interchangeably with "hay quên" for everyday forgetfulness.
  • Ông ấy đãng trí, để quên chìa khóa. (He was absentminded and forgot his keys.)

Synonyms

• Forgetful: Prone to forgetting.
• Absentminded: Inattentive or likely to forget things due to lack of focus.
• Amnesic: Pertaining to memory loss (medical/psychological term).

Related Idioms and Common Phrases

• Trí nhớ kém: Poor memory. A descriptive phrase for the cause of being "hay quên."

  • Trí nhớ kém khiến cô ấy hay quên lịch hẹn. (Poor memory makes her forget appointments.)

• Đầu óc trên mây: Head in the clouds. Implies spaciness that can lead to forgetfulness.

  • Cậu ấy lúc nào cũng có đầu óc trên mây nên hay quên. (He always has his head in the clouds, so he's forgetful.)