Basic+ Word of the Day: remember

remember (verb) past tense: remembered

"I can't remember."

If you remember something, it means that you can think of something that you know or something that happened to you.

• Do you remember my address?
• I remember my first day at school.

It can also mean that you think of something because a thought comes into your head.

• I just remembered that I have a meeting at 7am tomorrow!

If you have to remember something, it means that you shouldn’t forget it.

• It’s cold so remember to take your hat.

Don't confuse it with

We use remember when we think of something, but remind when we think of it because of another person. For example, we can say, “I remembered her birthday,” or, “Someone reminded me about her birthday,” but “Someone remembered me her birthday” is not correct.

In pop culture

Do you know the song “September” by Earth, Wind and Fire? It’s about remembering a special night. Listen for the words, “Say do you remember… dancing in September?” In this video you’ll also see some great “special effects” from the 1970s!

There are other meanings of remember.