記憶 / 记忆
jìyì
In Chinese, the word for memory is 記憶 / 记忆 (jìyì). Wiktionary also lists 記性 / 记性 (jìxìng) and 記性兒 / 记性儿 (jìxingr).
Meaning: ability to recall (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 記憶 / 记忆 | jìyì |
| 記性 / 记性 | jìxìng |
| 記性兒 / 记性儿 | jìxingr |
記憶 / 记忆 refers to the abstract concept of memory or the act of remembering. For a different nuance involving the recollection or reminiscence of past events or experiences, you might use 回忆.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 記性 / 记性 is composed of 記 (to remember) and 性 (nature or quality), literally meaning 'the quality of remembering'.
Which one should you use?
Use 記憶 / 记忆 to refer to the abstract concept of memory or the act of remembering. In contrast, use 記性 / 记性 when referring to a person's individual capacity or quality of memory, such as describing whether someone has a good or bad memory.
How do you pronounce it?
jìyì
What mistakes should you avoid?
When you want to say that someone has a bad memory, do not use 記憶 / 记忆. Instead, use the phrase 記性不好 / 记性不好.
Did you know?
- When someone's 記性 / 记性 is bad, a common idiom is 魚的記憶 / 鱼的记忆, comparing the person to a goldfish that is jokingly believed to have a three-second memory.
- The character 記 in 記憶 / 记忆 can also mean 'to record' or 'to write down', reflecting an ancient view that memory was akin to an internal ledger.
- While English uses 'memory' for both the brain's capacity and a computer's RAM, Chinese uses 記憶 / 记忆 for the human mind and 内存 for computer memory.
Examples in context
- 我的童年记忆犹新My childhood memories are still vivid.
- 他喜欢回忆小时候的故事He enjoys reminiscing about childhood stories.
- 我记不起我昨天的晚餐了I can't remember what I had for dinner yesterday.
- 这本回忆录让我思考了很多This memoir made me reflect on many things.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “memory” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
