Phrases for Remembering and Forgetting

Do you sometimes forget names, words, or things you need to do? Maybe you can almost remember something, but the word just won’t come out.

In this lesson, you’ll learn some of the most common English phrases to:

Talk about remembering something
Say you’ve forgotten something
Help someone remember

We’ll start with a short, natural conversation. Then you’ll explore common phrases, learn when and how to use them, and practise them in fun and useful ways.

Contents

Remembering and forgetting: example dialogue

This short conversation shows two friends using natural English phrases to talk about remembering and forgetting.

Jim is trying to remember the name of an old schoolfriend. Kim is doing her best to help!

Listen

Listen to the dialogue and answer the questions that follow. Then review the phrase breakdown.

Dialogue transcript

Read the full conversation below. These are real-life English phrases you can use to talk about memory.

Jim: Oh, I wish I could remember that guy’s name. I can picture exactly what he looked like, but I just can’t remember what he was called. It’s so frustrating!
Kim: Well, can you remember the first letter of his name?
Jim: No. It’s completely gone. Wait – B.. maybe – or P?
Kim: Pete? Phil? Bill? Ben? Billy?
Jim: No, no, no! Hang on, maybe it was N. Erm, let me think. Nick, Neil. Yeah, I think it was N. Oh, it’s on the tip of my tongue!
Kim: Maybe I can jog your memory. Where did you use to hang out with him?
Jim: At school, mostly. And in the park. And I seem to recall he came round to our house a couple of times, as well.
Kim: And what did he call you? Did you have a nickname?
Jim: Yeah. Everyone used to call me “Jay”, in those days. As far as I remember, he used to call me “Jay”, too.
Kim: Who did?
Jim: Noel did! …Noel! That’s it. Noel! That was his name! Noel. It’s come straight back to me!
Kim: Hurray! We got there in the end!

Phrase guide: remembering and forgetting

Here’s a breakdown of the phrases from the dialogue.

I’ve also added a few alternative phrases that you can also use in each situation.

I can’t remember

These phrases all mean you are trying to remember but can’t.

I wish I could remember.
I just can’t remember.
It’s completely gone.
It’s gone.

Other ways to say this:

I’ve forgotten.
I have no memory of that.
It’s not coming to me right now.

I almost remember

These phrases mean you feel close to remembering, but not quite.

It’s on the tip of my tongue!
Let me think..
I seem to recall..
As far as I remember..
As far as I recall..

Other ways to say this:

It’s nearly there.
I’m trying to remember.
I can almost get it.

I remember something clearly

These phrases mean you can remember something in detail.

I can picture exactly what he looked like.

Other ways to say this:

I remember it like it was yesterday.
I’ve got a clear memory of that.
I remember it well.

I remembered something suddenly

These phrases mean the memory came back quickly or unexpectedly.

It’s come straight back to me!
That’s it!
It’s come back to me!

Other ways to say this:

It just came to me.
Suddenly I remembered.
Now I remember!
Got it!

Let me help you recall it!

We use these phrases when helping another person remember something.

Maybe I can jog your memory.
Let me jog your memory.

Other ways to say this:

Think back for a moment.
Does anything come to mind?
What do you remember about them?

Forgetting things easily

These phrases describe when you often forget things.

I’ve got a brain like a sieve.
I’m a bit scatty.
It completely slipped my mind.
It goes in one ear and out the other.

Other ways to say this:

I’m really forgetful.
My memory is terrible.
I forget everything.

Example questions

Test your knowledge of the phrases you’ve learned today!

You can’t remember a classmate’s name. What do you say?
Your friend helps you remember. How do you thank them?
You’re trying to remember a place you visited. What might you say?

More useful phrases to talk about remembering and forgetting

These are extra phrases that are not in the dialogue, but they are commonly used in English when talking about memory.

Extra expressions

Phrase	Plain English
Do you remember when..?	Can you recall that time..?
That rings a bell!	That sounds familiar – I think I’ve heard it before.
I learned it by heart.	I memorised it perfectly.
It escaped me.	I forgot it completely / I can’t recall.
My mind went blank.	I couldn’t think of anything for a moment.

Pattern focus: present perfect simple tense

Some of the phrases in the dialogue, like I’ve forgotten and It’s come straight back to me, use the present perfect tense.

We use the present perfect simple tense to talk about past actions that are connected to the present.

In these examples, forgetting or remembering happened recently – and it still affects how the person feels now.

The structure is:
have/has + past participle

Examples from the dialogue:

I’ve forgotten. (This means: I forgot something, and I still don’t remember it now.)
It’s come straight back to me. (This means: I suddenly remembered something, and I still remember it now.)

This tense is often used in English when talking about memory, especially to show a change in what you remember or how it affects you right now.

Exercises: remembering and forgetting

Practise what you’ve learned with these simple activities.

1. Match the phrase to its meaning

Draw a line or match each English phrase to its plain English explanation:

It completely slipped my mind.
I can picture it.
That rings a bell.
I’ve got a brain like a sieve.
Let me jog your memory.

a. I think I’ve heard that before.
b. I forgot.
c. I forget things easily.
d. I can clearly imagine it.
e. Let me help you remember.

2. Match the phrases to a likely response

Choose a good response for each line.

A: I just can’t remember her name..
A: It’s on the tip of my tongue!
A: I seem to recall she was from Manchester.

a. Maybe I can jog your memory. Where did you meet her?
b. That’s OK. It’ll come back to you.
c. Yeah, that sounds right!

3. Finish the sentence (speaking practice)

Complete the phrase to make a full sentence. Then try saying it aloud.

I wish I could remember..
It came straight back to me when..
As far as I remember..

Answer key

1. Match the phrase to its meaning

It completely slipped my mind. → b. I forgot.
I can picture it. → d. I can clearly imagine it.
That rings a bell. → a. I think I’ve heard that before.
I’ve got a brain like a sieve. → c. I forget things easily.
Let me jog your memory. → e. Let me help you remember.

2. Match the phrases to a likely response

A: I just can’t remember her name.. → b. That’s OK. It’ll come back to you.
A: It’s on the tip of my tongue! → a. Maybe I can jog your memory. Where did you meet her?
A: I seem to recall she was from Manchester. → c. Yeah, that sounds right!