relembrar

Relembrar is a Portuguese verb that means to bring something back to memory or to remind someone of something. It is formed with the prefix re- combined with lembrar, the verb that means to remember or to recall. The term is used in both European and Brazilian Portuguese.

Usage and meanings: Relembrar can express recalling a memory, as in seeing a photo and relembrar a infância (to recall one’s childhood). It can also mean reminding someone about a fact, obligation, or event, as in o professor relembrou aos alunos da data de entrega (the professor reminded the students of the deadline). The construction often appears as relembrar alguém de algo (to remind someone of something) or, less commonly, relembrar de algo (to recall something). It is also used reflexively to describe recalling something to oneself: relembrar-se de algo.

Synonyms and nuance: A close synonym is rememorar, which is often more literary or formal. Lembrar, without the prefix, remains the more general term for remembering. Relembrar frequently carries a sense of reinstating a memory or prompt that was forgotten or neglected, sometimes with an audio-visual or nostalgic nuance.

Conjugation and usage notes: Relembrar is a regular -ar verb. Examples in the present include eu relembro, tu relembras, ele relembra, nós relembramos, vocês relembra m. The preterite is eu relembrei, and the gerund is relembrando. In Brazil and Portugal, it is common in formal, educational, or media contexts to indicate prompting memory or reminding people of something important.

Etymology: The word combines re- (again) with lembrar, deriving from a root related to memory and recollection. It shares semantic space with rememorar and lembrar, but with a nuance of returning memory or prompting a reminder.