Learn Hardcore Spanish (Spain): No puedo iniciar sesión; se me olvidó la contraseña.

Spanish often uses this pronominal pattern to express that something slipped your mind unintentionally: se + indirect object (me/te/le…) + verb + subject. In se me olvidó la contraseña, the password “forgot itself” on you. Olvidé la contraseña is also correct but sounds more direct/agentive.

What does me mean in se me olvidó?

It’s an indirect object pronoun meaning “to me/for me,” marking the affected person. You’re not the grammatical subject; the thing forgotten is.

What is the subject in se me olvidó la contraseña? How does agreement work?

The subject is la contraseña, so the verb is third person singular: olvidó. If plural, it becomes se me olvidaron las contraseñas.

Can I say me se olvidó?

No. The fixed order is se + me/te/le/nos/os/les. So it’s se me, never me se.

Is se me ha olvidado more natural in Spain?

Yes, for recent past with present relevance. Se me ha olvidado la contraseña is very common in Spain; se me olvidó is also fine but can sound more narrative or more typical in Latin America for recent events.

Can I say me olvidé de la contraseña or olvidé la contraseña instead?

Yes. Me olvidé de la contraseña uses the pronominal olvidarse de; olvidé la contraseña treats olvidar as transitive. Se me olvidó la contraseña highlights the accidental nature.

What’s the difference between se me olvidó, no me acuerdo de la contraseña, and no recuerdo la contraseña?

Se me olvidó: focuses on the moment it slipped your mind (often accidental).
No me acuerdo de la contraseña: describes your current inability to recall; note the required de.
No recuerdo la contraseña: more direct/formal; no preposition after recordar.

Should it be la contraseña or mi contraseña?

Both work. Spanish often uses the definite article when the possessor is clear, so la contraseña sounds natural. Use mi contraseña if you need to make the possessor explicit.

Is iniciar sesión the best way to say “log in” in Spain? Any alternatives?

Iniciar sesión is standard. You’ll also hear acceder, entrar (en la cuenta), and abrir sesión. Colloquial loguearse/logearse is common in speech but avoided in formal writing.

If I use entrar, which preposition is right?

In Spain it’s typically entrar en: No puedo entrar en mi cuenta. Entrar a is more common in some Latin American varieties.

Is the semicolon correct here? What else could I use?

Yes. It neatly separates two related independent clauses. You could also use a period or add a conjunction: No puedo iniciar sesión porque se me olvidó la contraseña. Avoid using just a comma between the two clauses.

Which words need accents here, and what changes if I drop them?

Sesión and olvidó require written accents. Without the accent, olvido means “I forget” (present) or the noun “oblivion”; with accent, olvidó is “he/she/it forgot.” Contraseña has ñ (not an accent).

How do I express other tenses with this pattern?

Habitual: Se me olvida la contraseña (I keep forgetting).
Past ongoing: Se me olvidaba la contraseña (I used to forget / it kept slipping my mind).
Future: Se me olvidará la contraseña (I’ll forget).
Recent past (Spain): Se me ha olvidado la contraseña.

Can I add emphasis on the person?

Yes: A mí se me olvidó la contraseña. The a mí is optional and adds emphasis or contrast (as opposed to someone else).