In Spanish, both recordar and acordarse mean “to remember,” but they are used differently. Recordar is a transitive verb (it takes a direct object) and can also mean “to remind.” Acordarse means “to remember” but is reflexive and always requires the preposition de.

Recordar (to remember, to remind): used with a direct object.
Acordarse (de) (to remember): reflexive + de + noun/pronoun.

Recordar

Recordar is transitive: it must be followed by a direct object (noun or pronoun).
It means “to remember” something or “to remind” someone (when used with a person as the indirect object).
Can be used in more formal or literary contexts.
Does NOT use a preposition.

Examples:

Spanish Example	English Example
Recuerdo mi infancia con cariño.	I remember my childhood fondly.
¿Recuerdas la fecha de la reunión?	Do you remember the date of the meeting?
Mi madre me recordó que debía llamar al doctor.	My mother reminded me that I had to call the doctor.

Common pronouns with recordar:

Spanish Pronoun	Example	English Example
lo / la / los / las	Lo recuerdo muy bien.	I remember him/her/it/them very well.

Acordarse (de)

Acordarse is always reflexive: it includes a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nos, os, se).
Must be followed by de + noun or pronoun.
Means simply “to remember” (retrieving a memory).
More common in everyday spoken Spanish.
When using a pronoun after de, use a stressed pronoun: mí, ti, él, ella, nosotros, vosotros, ellos.

Examples:

Spanish Example	English Example
Me acuerdo de mi primer día en la universidad.	I remember my first day at university.
¿Te acuerdas de aquel viaje a España?	Do you remember that trip to Spain?
Nos acordamos de vosotros con frecuencia.	We remember you (pl.) often.

Pronoun table:

Subject Pronoun	Reflexive Pronoun + de + Stressed Pronoun	English
yo	me acuerdo de mí	I remember
tú	te acuerdas de ti	you remember
él/ella	se acuerda de él/ella	he/she remembers
nosotros	nos acordamos de nosotros	we remember
vosotros	os acordáis de vosotros	you all remember
ellos	se acuerdan de ellos	they remember

Key Differences

Recordar + direct object | Acordarse de + object (noun/pronoun)
Recordar can mean “to remind”; Acordarse cannot.
Acordarse de always reflexive + de; recordar never uses de.
Acordarse preferred in spoken language; recordar more formal.
Pronouns after recordar are direct (lo, la); after acordarse de are stressed (mí, ti).

Quick Guide

Question	กรุณาทำตารางให้ด้วยครับ
My friend forgot the tickets.	Mi amigo olvidó las entradas. (does not use recordar / acordarse)
Do you remember it?	¿Lo recuerdas? / ¿Te acuerdas de ello?
I remind you to call her.	Te recuerdo que la llames.
We remember our teachers.	Recordamos a nuestros profesores. / Nos acordamos de nuestros profesores.
She remembered you!	¡Ella te recordó! / ¡Ella se acordó de ti!

Common Pitfalls

Missing direct object with recordar: Recuerdo (incomplete); must say Recuerdo algo.
Omitting de with acordarse: Me acuerdo la fecha (incorrect); must say Me acuerdo de la fecha.
Confusing indirect objects when recordar is used to mean “to remind”: Me recordó (someone reminded me), not Me acordó.
Using unstressed pronouns after acordarse de: Me acuerdo de te (incorrect); must be Me acuerdo de ti.

Summary

Use recordar + direct object for “remembering” or “reminding.”
Use acordarse de + noun/pronoun (with de) for “remembering” in a reflexive sense.
Choose acordarse de in casual speech and recordar for formal or written contexts.

¡Ahora ya sabes cómo usar recordar y acordarse correctamente!

Flashcards (1 of 13)

English Example: I remember my childhood fondly.

Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025

Spanish