Recordar

Recordar is a Spanish verb that means to remember, to recall, or to remind. It is used to bring a memory to mind, such as a past event or a fact, and can also express causing someone else to remember or be reminded of something. In many contexts, recordar is interchangeable with acordarse de when referring to one’s own memory, though acordarse de is reflexive and often used with de to introduce the remembered element.

Etymology and meaning

Recordar derives from Latin recordāre, from recordari, meaning to bring back to mind or to remember. In modern Spanish, recordar is common in both memory and reminder senses: for example, “Recuerdo mi infancia” (I remember my childhood) and “Mi profesor me recordó la fecha de entrega” (My teacher reminded me of the due date).

Conjugation and usage

Recordar is a regular -ar verb in many tenses but features a stem change in the present indicative: yo recuerdo, tú recuerdas, él recuerda, nosotros recordamos, vosotros recordáis, ellos recuerdan. The verb has a full set of tenses: pretérito recordé, recordaste, recordó; imperfect recordaba, recordabas; future recordaré; subjunctive recuerde, recuerdes, recordemos, recordéis, recuerden. The gerund is recordando and the past participle is recordado. In imperative form, recuerda (tú), recuerde (usted), recordemos (nosotros), recordad (vosotros), recuerden (ustedes).

Usage notes

Recordar can govern a direct object (recordar algo) or an object with a person (recordar a alguien). For memory alone, it often collocates with a noun phrase: “recuerdo aquel día.” For reminding someone, it can take indirect object pronouns: “Me recordó la cita,” or “Te recordé que…”. A more literary synonym is evocar.

See also

Acordarse, evocar.