How Can I Say This?

[Beto]

What would be a common or accepted way of saying in Spanish: "I have been forgetting to do it."

I'm pretty sure that a literal translation would not be correct; so what do you suggest?

[wrholt]

Actually, I think that a reasonably literal translation would be fine. I suggest:

(Me) he estado olvidando de hacerlo.

[Beto]

Gracias. Me suena bien.

[Luna Azul]

Also: "Se me ha estado olvidando hacerlo"

[aleCcowaN]

And also "me he venido olvidando de hacerlo". Of course, many ways, many nuances. I think the literal translation is the less resorted to, as "Me he estado olvidando de hacerlo" depicts the action of forgetting as an active action -olvidar is transitive here- so it might have been willful. So "me he venido olvidando de hacerlo" keeps the verb as transitive but uses a verbal periphrasis that describes a recurring action stating a trend over some period, so it couldn't be willful. On the other hand, olvidar as an intransitive pronominal in "se me ha estado olvidando hacerlo" means something like "I wanted to, but IT wouldn't happen", so the speaker stands half way between being accountable and a victim of the circumstances (Spanish has many built-in mechanisms for auto-exoneration).

[poli]

I think in common speech you may hear something like ahora casi siempre
olvido de hacerlo.

I honestly think that, though correct, the present progressive (gerundio
en español) is not used as often in Spanish as it is in English. In Spanish people sometimes find alternatives.
I may be wrong. Spanish is not my mother tongue.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Originally Posted by poli

ahora casi siempre me olvido de hacerlo.

Hmm... that would mean that, for some reason, I forget to do something I always used to remember.

It is true that the gerundio is heard less often in Spanish than in English, but in this case, as the replies from others have shown, it is needed to express that I have forgotten to do something over and over and I still do.

Luna has said the one I would have used, by the way.

[Luna Azul]

Originally Posted by AngelicaDeAlquezar

[/I]

Luna has said the one I would have used, by the way.

Thank you. In Colombia the usual construction is "se me olvida..", not "me olvido de.." Maybe it's the same in Mexico?

"Se me olvidó ir a mi cita ayer" = the way I'd say it
"Me olvidé de ir a mi cita ayer" = it's understood but not said

Incidentally, something similar happens with the verbs "recordar" or "acordarse de" algo. The latter is the one commonly used in Colombia:

"Me acordé de ir a mi cita ayer....", we don't normally say "recordé ir a mi cita ayer...."

"Me acuerdo de aquel día cuando....." = the way I'd say it
"Recuerdo aquel día cuando...." = to me it sounds more poetic but it's hardly used in the spoken language.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Originally Posted by Luna Azul

Maybe it's the same in Mexico?

Exactly the same. (Both for "olvidársele algo a alguien" and "acordarse de...")

[languagelover]

Originally Posted by Beto

What would be a common or accepted way of saying in Spanish: "I have been forgetting to do it."

I'm pretty sure that a literal translation would not be correct; so what do you suggest?

... I just thought I would throw in a few alternatives from a Spain-Spanish point of view:

If your intention is to imply you keep forgetting to do something that you've been trying to remember to do, you could say: "Sigo olvidando (de) hacerlo" or, turning it around, "sigo sin acordarme de hacerlo."

If your intention is to imply you have been forgetting to do something that you previously used to remember to do, you could say: "Me olvido de hacerlo cada vez más."

If your intention is to imply it has slipped my mind all week, you could say: "Se me ha olvidado por completo esta semana" (probably very Spain-Spanish) or "Se me olvidó por completo esta semana" (I get the impression this version might be used more outside of Spain).

Even if none of these are actually what you wanted to imply, I hope they come in handy another time.

[Beto]

Thanks for clearing that up. Very enlightening.

[Nivar]

Originally Posted by languagelover

... I just thought I would throw in a few alternatives from a Spain-Spanish point of view:

If your intention is to imply you keep forgetting to do something that you've been trying to remember to do, you could say: "Sigo olvidando (de) hacerlo" or, turning it around, "sigo sin acordarme de hacerlo."

If your intention is to imply you have been forgetting to do something that you previously used to remember to do, you could say: "Me olvido de hacerlo cada vez más."

If your intention is to imply it has slipped my mind all week, you could say: "Se me ha olvidado por completo esta semana" (probably very Spain-Spanish) or "Se me olvidó por completo esta semana" (I get the impression this version might be used more outside of Spain).

Even if none of these are actually what you wanted to imply, I hope they come in handy another time.

I agree with all proposed versions except with the last one.

"Se me ha olvidado por completo esta semana" would translate as "I have forgotten completely (about what ever subject) this week".

To keep the original sense it should be "Se me ha estado olvidando por completo a lo largo de esta semana".

I would only like to point out that the tone in which the sentence is said, can give another sense to frase, and that is that you have had the intention to forgett. You wanted to forgett because it went against your interest not to do so.