忘 is a Chinese character with HSK 2 on the new exam.
Etymology
Oracle-bone origin
忘 is a phono-semantic compound rather than a pictograph, and does not appear in oracle bone script in this form. It combines 亡 (wáng, meaning to lose or perish) on top, which carries both sound and meaning, with 心 (heart) below as the semantic component. The structure literally reads as the heart losing something.
Form evolution
The character appears in bronze and seal scripts with 亡 clearly above 心. Seal script drew 心 as three curved strokes suggesting a chamber; clerical script flattened 心 into its familiar four-dot or bottom-heart form. The modern 楷书 form keeps the top-bottom arrangement with 亡 stacked over 心, essentially unchanged from the seal period.
How the meaning evolved
The original meaning of forgetting has remained stable for over two thousand years. It extended slightly to include neglecting or overlooking, as in 忘恩 (to forget a kindness, meaning to be ungrateful). The character does not carry the darker 亡 sense of death; the semantic narrowing to memory loss was already complete by the classical period.
Cultural note
The idiom 忘恩负义 describes someone who forgets kindness and betrays loyalty, a serious moral condemnation in Chinese culture. Learners should notice that 忘 and 忙 share the 亡 phonetic but differ in structure: 忘 stacks 亡 over 心, while 忙 places 忄 (heart on the left) next to 亡; the position of 心 is the only visual clue.
Basic info
| New HSK exam | Recognise at HSK 2 |
| Frequency | #618 most common |
Example sentences
Words containing 忘
On the new HSK 2 exam
Studying for HSK 2? Keep 忘 with the rest of your level.
HSK Lord schedules your reviews so each character comes back right before you would forget it. Free to start, and it picks up where you are.
Frequently Asked Questions
Reviewed by RJ Murray, Founder, HSK Lord.