This compact aspect card sits alongside the fuller irregular verb page for zapomenout and gives you the pair in one glance: zapomínat / zapomenout, "to forget." The imperfective zapomínat is for forgetting as a habit or a tendency ("I keep forgetting," "I was forgetting"); the perfective zapomenout is the single completed lapse ("I forgot"). The two halves run on different stems and even different conjugation classes, which is the one thing that makes this pair more work than an ordinary verb — and the past zapomněl has a spelling trap of its own.
The pair at a glance
| Imperfective | Perfective | |
|---|---|---|
| Infinitive | zapomínat | zapomenout |
| Class | Class V (-á-), like dělat | Class II (-ne-), like tisknout |
| Present | zapomínám ("I keep forgetting") | zapomenu ("I will forget") |
| Past | zapomínal | zapomněl |
| Imperative | zapomínej | zapomeň |
Present of each half
The imperfective zapomínat is a model Class V (-á-) verb. The perfective zapomenout belongs to the -ne- class: in the present its stem ends in -en- and takes the -u / -eš / -e endings, with the expected -ou in the 3rd plural.
| Person | zapomínat (impf.) — present | zapomenout (pf.) — future meaning |
|---|---|---|
| já | zapomínám | zapomenu |
| ty | zapomínáš | zapomeneš |
| on/ona/ono | zapomíná | zapomene |
| my | zapomínáme | zapomeneme |
| vy | zapomínáte | zapomenete |
| oni/ony | zapomínají | zapomenou |
Remember the perfective twist: zapomenu has present shape but future meaning ("I'll forget"). For "I keep forgetting" right now, you need the imperfective zapomínám.
Pořád zapomínám, jak se ten herec jmenuje.
I keep forgetting what that actor's name is. (habit — imperfective zapomínám)
Neboj, na tvoje narozeniny nezapomenu.
Don't worry, I won't forget your birthday. (one future event — perfective nezapomenu)
The past: mind the -mně-
The perfective past participle is zapomněl — and here is the trap. It is spelled with -mně- (m + ě), even though it sounds like zapomňel. This -mně- spelling shows up wherever the soft ě follows the m: zapomněl, zapomněla, zapomněli, zapomněly. The imperfective past zapomínal has none of this — it is a plain -á- stem.
| Subject | zapomínat (impf.) | zapomenout (pf.) |
|---|---|---|
| masc. sg. | zapomínal | zapomněl |
| fem. sg. | zapomínala | zapomněla |
| neut. sg. | zapomínalo | zapomnělo |
| masc. anim. pl. | zapomínali | zapomněli |
| fem. pl. | zapomínaly | zapomněly |
Úplně jsem zapomněl, že máme dneska schůzku.
I completely forgot we have a meeting today. (male speaker — note the -mně- spelling zapomněl)
Zapomněla jsem si doma nabíječku, půjčíš mi svoji?
I left my charger at home, will you lend me yours? (female speaker — zapomněla)
Government: na + accusative, or a plain accusative, or an infinitive
How you attach the forgotten thing depends on what it is:
To forget about something/someone → na + accusative. This is the most common pattern with the perfective, especially for appointments, people, and obligations.
Zapomněl jsem na tu schůzku, strašně se omlouvám.
I forgot about the meeting, I'm terribly sorry. (na + accusative schůzku)
To forget a fact, a name, a piece of information → a plain accusative (no preposition).
Zapomněla jsem heslo a teď se nemůžu přihlásit.
I forgot my password and now I can't log in. (accusative heslo)
To forget to do something → the infinitive.
Zapomněl jsem koupit chleba, zaskočím tam ještě.
I forgot to buy bread, I'll pop back out for it. (infinitive koupit)
The everyday imperative: Nezapomeň!
By far the most common form you will hear and use is the negated perfective imperative Nezapomeň! / Nezapomeňte! — "Don't forget!" Note the soft -ň ending, where the stem zapomen- softens to zapomeň.
Nezapomeň zhasnout, až půjdeš spát.
Don't forget to turn off the light when you go to bed. (perfective imperative nezapomeň + infinitive)
Nezapomeňte na mě, až budete mít volno!
Don't forget about me when you've got some free time! (na + accusative; plural/formal nezapomeňte)
The imperfective imperative nezapomínej is for an ongoing reminder — "don't keep forgetting, make a habit of remembering": Nezapomínej zalévat kytky ("Don't keep forgetting to water the plants").
Common Mistakes
❌ Zapomněl jsem schůzku.
Government slip — for forgetting about an appointment, Czech wants na + accusative.
✅ Zapomněl jsem na schůzku.
I forgot about the meeting.
❌ Zapomnil jsem to.
Spelling — the perfective past is zapomněl with -mně-, not zapomnil.
✅ Zapomněl jsem to.
I forgot it.
❌ Včera zapomínám koupit mléko.
Aspect mismatch — one finished lapse ('yesterday') needs the perfective zapomněl, not the habit verb.
✅ Včera jsem zapomněl koupit mléko.
Yesterday I forgot to buy milk.
❌ Nezapomenout na to!
Wrong mood — a command uses the imperative form, not the infinitive: Nezapomeň.
✅ Nezapomeň na to!
Don't forget about it!
❌ Pořád zapomenu jména.
Aspect mismatch — 'always / keep' signals a habit, so use the imperfective zapomínám.
✅ Pořád zapomínám jména.
I keep forgetting names.
Key Takeaways
- zapomínat (imperfective, Class V -á-) = keep forgetting / be forgetting; zapomenout (perfective, Class II -ne-) = forget (one event).
- Different stems: present zapomínám… vs zapomenu…; the perfective zapomenu means "I will forget."
- The perfective past is zapomněl — spelled -mně-, a classic Czech spelling trap.
- Government: na + accusative (forget about), plain accusative (forget a fact), or the infinitive (forget to do).
- The workhorse form is the negated imperative Nezapomeň! / Nezapomeňte! ("Don't forget!"). See also the fuller irregular verb page.
Now practice Czech
Reading grammar gets you part of the way. The exercises are where it sticks — free, no signup needed.
Start learning Czech→Related Topics
- zapomenout / zapomínat — to forgetA2 — The aspect pair for 'forget', with the tricky -mně- in the perfective past (zapomněl), the -ne-/-nou- present, and the bare-accusative vs na+accusative government split.
- pamatovat si / zapamatovat si — to remember, to memorizeB1 — Side-by-side conjugation of the reflexive pair pamatovat si / zapamatovat si: the Class III -ovat present, the dative-reflexive si, and the contrast with vzpomínat si / vzpomenout si (to recall).
- Class II: -ne- Verbs (tisknout, minout)A2 — The -ne- conjugation, built mostly from -nout infinitives — predictable in the present, but full of perfectives whose 'present' actually means the future.
- Aspect Pairs: The Core SystemA2 — How most Czech verbs come as a two-member aspect pair — one imperfective, one perfective — and how to learn, look up, and choose between them.
- Verbs with Prepositional ObjectsB2 — Verbs that reach their object through a fixed preposition plus a fixed case — čekat na, starat se o, těšit se na, mluvit o, záležet na — where the Czech preposition almost never matches the English one.