recuerda

Recuerda is a form of the Spanish verb recordar. It is used to express remembering or reminding. Its primary present tense forms are: él/ella/usted recuerda (present indicative) and tú recuerda (affirmative imperative). The latter is commonly used in commands or reminders: “Recuerda cerrar la puerta” meaning Remember to close the door. The form recuerde appears as the formal commands for usted, as in “Recuerde usted traer la documentación.”

Etymology and related forms: recordar comes from Latin recordari, with the prefix re- and a root related to memory. The noun recuerdo means a memory or keepsake, and recordatorio means a reminder.

Usage notes: recordar can be used transitively to remind someone of something (recordar a alguien de algo) or to remember something (recordar un hecho). In everyday speech, many Spanish speakers distinguish acordarse de for personal memory (me acuerdo de…), while recordar is more common when giving a reminder or stating a memory in a general sense.

Examples: “Él recuerda la fecha” (He remembers the date). “Recuerda que tienes una cita” (Remember that you have an appointment). “Recuerde usted consultar las instrucciones” (Please remember to consult the instructions).

See also: recuerdo, recordatorio, acordarse.