lembra-se de mim?
The Portuguese phrase for "do you remember me?" is lembra-se de mim?
This phrase is used to ask someone if they recognize you from a previous meeting.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, lembra-se de mim? translates to "do you remember of me?" The verb lembrar-se is pronominal and requires the preposition de before the object mim.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Brazil, it is common to include the subject pronoun você to make the question more explicit, resulting in the structure Você se lembra de mim?
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying lembra mim? This is incorrect because the preposition de is required.
Did you know?
- The preposition de in lembra-se de mim? is a direct descendant of the Latin dē, which originally meant 'down from'.
- In very informal Brazilian Portuguese, speakers often drop the preposition de entirely and say Você lembra mim?, despite it being grammatically incorrect in standard Portuguese.
- In some regions of Portugal, the phrase can be shortened to Lembras-te de mim?, using the second-person singular tu which creates a much more intimate tone than lembra-se.
Examples in context
- Olá! Lembras-te de mim? Sou o João, estudámos juntos no liceu.Hello! Do you remember me? I'm João, we studied together in high school.
- Boa tarde. Lembra-se de mim? Fui seu aluno no curso de pós-graduação.Good afternoon. Do you remember me? I was your student in the postgraduate course.
Example conversation
Mariana meets Lucas at a cafe after many years.
- MarianaLucas, lembra-se de mim?Lucas, do you remember me?
- LucasSim, você é a Mariana!Yes, you are Mariana!
- MarianaQue bom que você reconheceu!I'm glad you recognized me!
- LucasÉ claro, era impossível esquecer.Of course, it was impossible to forget.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, mim, CC BY-SA 4.0.
