mengingat

Mengingat is a verb in Indonesian and Malay that means to remember or to recall something. It is formed from the root ingat (to remember) with the prefix me-, producing mengingat. The word can function as a simple verb meaning to recall a memory or fact, as in saya mengingat masa kecil saya (I remember my childhood).

A related but distinct form is mengingatkan, which is the causative version meaning to remind someone of something or to prompt someone to remember. For example, saya mengingatkan dia tentang rapat besok (I remind him about the meeting tomorrow) shows the action of causing another person to remember. The base form mengingat is generally intransitive or transitive with a direct object, while mengingatkan explicitly acts on another person or target.

Usage notes: Indonesian and Malay do not conjugate verbs for person or tense. Aspect and time are indicated with adverbs or auxiliary words, such as sudah (already), sedang (currently), or akan (will). The choice between mengingat and mengingatkan depends on whether the speaker is recalling something themselves or prompting someone else to recall or act.

Etymology: both languages derive mengingat from ingat (to remember) with the me- prefix; phonological assimilation yields mengingat. The word ingat also appears independently as a common verb meaning “to remember,” while mengingatkan is used when the action is directed at another person.