Translation guide
How to express 'leave behind' in Japanese, covering physical objects, people, abstract things, and intentional/unintentional nuances.
You accidentally left something somewhere.
The most common way to say you forgot something and left it behind. Use with the place marked by に.
電車に傘を忘れた。
I left my umbrella on the train.
ホテルにパスポートを忘れてしまった。
I accidentally left my passport at the hotel.
Specifically means to put something down and then forget it. Emphasizes the act of leaving it behind.
カフェにスマホを置き忘れた。
I left my smartphone behind at the café.
You deliberately leave someone or something at a location.
To leave something behind, often with a sense of keeping it there or not taking it with you. Can be used for people or things.
子供を家に残して出かけた。
I went out, leaving the child at home.
荷物をここに残しておきます。
I'll leave my luggage here.
Literally 'put and go', meaning to leave something/someone behind when you depart. Often implies a deliberate action.
彼を駅に置いていった。
I left him at the station.
Something remains after a person or event, like an impression, influence, or result.
Used for leaving behind a legacy, impression, record, etc. Often in the pattern 〜を残す.
彼は偉大な業績を残した。
He left behind great achievements.
その言葉は強い印象を残した。
Those words left a strong impression.
Intransitive; describes something that remains behind, like a feeling or aftereffect.
変な後味が後に残った。
A strange aftertaste was left behind.
To outpace or surpass someone, leaving them behind.
To pull away from, leave behind in a race or competition.
彼は他のランナーを引き離した。
He left the other runners behind.
To abandon or leave someone behind, often with a nuance of desertion. Can be used metaphorically.
時代に置き去りにされた気がする。
I feel like I've been left behind by the times.
To abandon a person, place, or thing, often permanently.
To abandon, forsake, leave behind in a helpless state. Strong emotional nuance.
彼は家族を見捨てた。
He abandoned his family.
To leave someone behind, often implying they are stranded or deserted.
犬が道端に置き去りにされていた。
A dog had been left behind on the roadside.
忘れる is general 'forget', while 置き忘れる specifically means 'leave behind by forgetting'. Use 忘れる when the focus is on forgetting, and 置き忘れる when the physical act of leaving is emphasized.
傘を忘れた。
I forgot my umbrella. (Maybe I left it somewhere, or just didn't bring it.)
店に傘を置き忘れた。
I left my umbrella at the store. (I put it down and forgot it.)
残す implies intentional leaving or something remaining. If you accidentally left your phone at home, use 忘れる, not 残す.
家にスマホを忘れた。
I left my phone at home. (accidentally)