健忘 (jiànwàng) is an adjective meaning 'forgetful' or 'prone to forgetting.' Literally, 健 (jiàn) means 'strong' or 'robust,' and 忘 (wàng) means 'to forget.' Together, they form a classical compound where 健 intensifies the state—suggesting not just occasional forgetfulness, but a habitual or noticeable tendency to forget things. It's commonly used to describe people, especially adults or older individuals, whose memory seems less reliable than usual.

This term carries a mild, often sympathetic or neutral tone—not harshly critical like 笨 (stupid) or careless like 马虎 (sloppy). It appears frequently in health discussions, doctor-patient conversations, and everyday observations about aging, stress, or fatigue. While it can be used humorously among friends ('我最近太健忘了！'), it’s also clinically relevant when describing early cognitive changes. Unlike the verb 忘记 (wàngjì, 'to forget'), 健忘 describes a persistent trait rather than a single action.