The French verbs se souvenir de and rappeler both relate to the concept of remembering, but they are used in different ways. Se souvenir de means "to remember" or "to recall," and it is a reflexive verb followed by de. Rappeler means "to remind" or "to call back," and it is a transitive verb which can be used to mean "to remind someone of something."
- Se souvenir de = to remember, to recall (oneself)
- Rappeler = to remind, to call back, to recall (someone)
Se souvenir de
Se souvenir de is a reflexive verb that literally means "to remember oneself of." It is always followed by de + noun/pronoun*, and is used when the subject is remembering something.
- Reflexive verb: se souvenir de (to remember)
- Followed by de + object (noun or pronoun)
- Focus is on the subject remembering something
- Example: Je me souviens de mon enfance. ("I remember my childhood.")
Usage patterns
| French Pattern | English Explanation | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Se souvenir de + noun/pronoun | To remember something | Je me souviens de son nom. | I remember his name. |
| Se souvenir de + infinitive passé | To remember having done something | Je me souviens d'avoir mangé. | I remember having eaten. |
Reflexive pronouns
| Subject | Reflexive Pronoun | Example (French) | Example (English) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Je | me | Je me souviens de toi. | I remember you. |
| Tu | te | Tu te souviens du film ? | Do you remember the movie? |
| Il/Elle | se | Elle se souvient du voyage. | She remembers the trip. |
| Nous | nous | Nous nous souvenons de tout. | We remember everything. |
| Vous | vous | Vous vous souvenez de moi ? | Do you remember me? |
| Ils/Elles | se | Ils se souviennent de l'école. | They remember school. |
Fill in the blank: 『Nous _____ des vacances d’été.』 (nous, se souvenir de)
Nous nous souvenons des vacances d’été.
Subject pronoun 『nous』 pairs with reflexive pronoun 『nous』. Also, when mentioning plural nouns, the preposition is 『de + les = des』 — so we say 『des vacances』.
Rappeler
Rappeler means "to remind" or "to call back." When used in the sense of "remind," it is followed by a direct object (the person being reminded) and a noun or clause beginning with de*.
- Rappeler + direct object + de + [infinitive or noun]
- Can also mean "to call back" (e.g., on the phone)
- Focus is on causing someone else to remember
- Example: Je te rappelle de venir. ("I remind you to come.")
Usage patterns
| French Pattern | English Explanation | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rappeler + objet + de + infinitif | To remind someone to do something | Je te rappelle de partir tôt. | I remind you to leave early. |
| Rappeler + objet + nom | To remind someone of something | Rappelle-moi notre rendez-vous. | Remind me of our appointment. |
| Rappeler + objet | To call someone back | Elle m’a rappelé hier soir. | She called me back last night. |
Examples
| French Sentence | English Sentence |
|---|---|
| Peux-tu me rappeler d’acheter du pain ? | Can you remind me to buy bread? |
| Il rappelle ses amis à la fête. | He is calling his friends to the party. |
| Le patron m’a rappelé au bureau. | The boss called me back to the office. |
Key Differences
| Aspect | Se souvenir de | Rappeler |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | To remember/recall (oneself) | To remind/call back (someone) |
| Structure | se souvenir de* + noun/pronoun | rappeler* + direct object + (de + infinitive) or noun |
| Subject | Subject is the one remembering | Subject causes someone else to remember or calls back |
| Examples | Je me souviens de toi. | Rappelle-moi de te téléphoner. |
Summary
- Use se souvenir de when the subject remembers something.
- Use rappeler when the subject causes someone else to remember or calls someone back.
Which verb is reflexive: 『se souvenir de』 or 『rappeler』?
Se souvenir de
Only 『se souvenir de』 is reflexive (uses pronouns like me, te, se). 『Rappeler』 is not reflexive; it takes a direct object instead.
Common Confusions
Se souvenir de vs. Rappeler + de
- Se souvenir de is always reflexive and followed by de*.
- Rappeler can be followed by de when introducing an infinitive (e.g., rappeler à quelqu’un de faire quelque chose), but rappeler* itself is not reflexive.
Direct vs Indirect Objects
- Se souvenir de quelque chose/quelqu’un* (de + object)
- Rappeler quelqu’un (direct object)* + de + infinitif/noun (when reminding)
Example Sentences
Se souvenir de
| French Example | English Example |
|---|---|
| Je me souviens de notre voyage à Paris. | I remember our trip to Paris. |
| Elle se souvient du goût de la tarte aux pommes. | She remembers the taste of apple pie. |
| Nous nous souvenons d’avoir visité ce musée. | We remember having visited that museum. |
Rappeler
| French Example | English Example |
|---|---|
| Rappelle-moi d’appeler ma mère ce soir. | Remind me to call my mom tonight. |
| Le professeur nous a rappelé de rendre nos devoirs. | The teacher reminded us to submit our homework. |
| Peux-tu me rappeler plus tard ? | Can you call me back later? |
Conclusion
- Se souvenir de = to remember (oneself), always reflexive, always followed by de.
- Rappeler = to remind someone or to call back, followed by a direct object and optionally de + infinitive.
- Remember the subject’s role: se souvenir de = subject remembers; rappeler = subject causes another to remember.
Flashcards (1 of 20)
- English Explanation: To remember something
- English Example: I remember his name.
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
