思い出させて
omoidasasete
To say "remind me" in Japanese, use 思い出させて (omoidasasete).
A request for someone to help you remember something that you have forgotten.
Which one should you use?
Use 思い出させて when you want someone to trigger your memory of a fact or event, rather than 'reminding' you to perform a task (for which 念押しする or 忘れないように言う would be more appropriate).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The default form 思い出させて is an informal request used with friends or people of lower social status. Adding ください (kudasai) to the end makes the request polite and suitable for most social situations.
How do you pronounce it?
omoidasasete
Did you know?
- The word 思い出す literally means 'to take out of the mind'. It treats a memory like a physical object stored in a box that must be retrieved.
- In Japanese, the act of remembering can be described as 思い出す but 'remembering' a fact you already know is 覚えている, creating a strict linguistic divide between retrieval and storage.
- The verb used in 思い出させて actually means 'to let me remember' or 'make me remember'.
Examples in context
- 出発の時間を念の為に教えてください。Please tell me the departure time just in case.
- 明日、私の面接の時間を教えていただけませんか。Could you please remind me of my interview time tomorrow?
- あの映画の名前思い出させて！Make me remember the name of that movie!
- 明日、また思い出させて。Ashita, mata omoidasasete.Remind me again tomorrow.
- 名前を思い出させてください。Namae o omoidasasete kudasai.Please remind me of the name.
- 忘れないように思い出させて。Wasurenai you ni omoidasasete.Remind me so I don't forget.
Example conversation
Kenta and Yui are planning a dinner date.
- 健太 Kentaお店の名前、忘れちゃった。Omise no namae, wasurechatta.I forgot the name of the restaurant.
- 結衣 Yuiあそこは「さくら」だよ。Asoko wa "Sakura" dayo.That place is called "Sakura".
- 健太 Kentaありがとう。また明日思い出させて。Arigatō. Mata ashita omoidasasete.Thanks. Remind me again tomorrow.
- 結衣 Yuiいいよ、メールしておくね。Ii yo, mēru shite oku ne.Sure, I'll send you an email.
