recordar
/rekoɾˈdaɾ/
To remember in Spanish is recordar.
Recordar is a common verb used to convey the idea of remembering.
Which one should you use?
While recordar is a direct transitive verb, the phrase acordarse de is a pronominal verb used to mean the same thing and requires the preposition de.
How does it change in a sentence?
The first-person singular present indicative of recordar is recuerdo. The third-person singular present indicative is recuerda. Additionally, the noun form of the verb is recuerdo, which can mean a memory, a souvenir or a keepsake.
How do you pronounce it?
/rekoɾˈdaɾ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly add the preposition de to recordar (saying recordar de) because they are confusing it with the pronominal form acordarse de.
Did you know?
- Etymologically, to remember is to 'bring back to the heart', as the root of recordar comes from the Latin cor, meaning 'heart'.
- Because recordar is linked to the heart, some poetic Spanish texts use it to describe an emotional longing rather than just a factual recollection.
- The distinction between recordar and acordarse is so ingrained that using the wrong one can change the perceived focus from the memory itself to the act of recalling it.
Examples in context
- Es fácil de recordar.It's easy to remember.This sentence shows how to use recordar to say something is easy to remember.Tatoeba #1898739 by marcelostockle, translation #1897877 by Spamster
- Quizás no querés recordar.Maybe you don't want to remember.This sentence uses recordar to express that someone might not want to remember.Tatoeba #2185231 by hayastan, translation #2033594 by CK
- No tengo por qué recordarlo.I don't have a reason to remember it.This sentence shows how to use recordar when saying you have no reason to remember something.Tatoeba #5967394 by arh, translation #9004145 by helloroto
- Es importante tener presente las indicaciones del manual de seguridad.It is important to remember the safety manual's instructions.
- Me acuerdo de su cumpleaños.I remember his/her birthday.
- Recuerdo que me dijo eso ayer.I remember he/she told me that yesterday.
- 35 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and María are talking about a movie they saw.
- MateoNo puedo recordar el nombre del actor.I cannot remember the actor's name.
- MaríaCreo que se llama Juan.I think his name is Juan.
- Mateo¡Sí, ahora lo puedo recordar!Yes, now I can remember it!
- MaríaQué bueno que lo recordaste, Mateo.It's great that you remembered it, Mateo.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry recordar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries recordar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
