1 : il significato e` molto simile (both mean /to forget/) 2 : la differenza nella etimologia porta ad una differenza nell'uso, probabilmente sin dall'origine di questi termini (since these terms were born in their ancient form) Attenzione: il significato e` /forget/, qui sto parlando della etimologia, cioe` il significato originario: dimenticare : uscire dalla mente (Latin: de + mens, MENTIS; [out] from the mind) scordare: andare fuori dal cuore (Latin: ex cordis) La differenza e` in questo: dimenticare e` piu` legato alla razionalita`, scordare agli affetti, sentimenti, desideri. Ad esempio noi diciamo: -- non dimenticare le mie parole (words, therefore meaning, therefore mind) -- non scordarti di me ( a face, a person, therefore feelings) Final remark: for daily usage, pick the one that comes to your mind first, but if you would like to write a story, a novel, in good Italian (I am NOT joking), pay attention also to the semantic root of words (unless they contrast to modern usage, which here is not the case) for enjoying the pleasure of a well done job! Very final remark: one of our best singers, Lucio Battisti (sadly he is not living any more) used to sing these lines : " e nel far le valigie ricordati di non scordare qualche cosa di tuo che a te poi mi faccia pensare " in one of his very peculiar and nice songs: Song: 7:40 Singer, composer: Lucio Battisti Author of the lyrics: Mogol (Fausto Rapetti) Lyrics: www.airdave.it/l/lucio_battisti/canzoni/testo_7_e_40.htm song: www.youtube.com/watch?v=RitkhFcdgiM Another interesting song by Battisti is "Eppure mi son scordato di te"; in this song he is singer, composer and writer

the meaning is pretty much the same... the etymology slightly different... scordare from 'cor' = cuore (heart) dimenticare from 'mente' = mind I know that in Chinese there is an overlapping between the two of them which is very interesting :O)