recordar
/re.koɾˈdaɾ/
Definition
To remember something, or to remind someone of something.
Example
No puedo recordar dónde dejé mis llaves.
Show translation
I can't remember where I left my keys.
Etymology
From Latin *recordārī* ("to call to mind"), built from *re-* ("again") + *cor/cordis* ("heart"). In the ancient world, the heart — not the brain — was considered the seat of memory and emotion, so "remembering" literally meant bringing something back to the heart.
Cultural note
In Spanish, *recordar* can mean both "to remember" (intransitive: *Recuerdo ese día* — "I remember that day") and "to remind" (transitive with indirect object: *Te recuerdo que hay reunión* — "I'm reminding you there's a meeting"). English speakers often mix it up with *acordarse de*, which is a close synonym. Note also the famous title *Cien años de soledad* author Gabriel García Márquez's reflection that "La vida no es la que uno vivió, sino la que uno recuerda" — life is not what you lived, but what you remember.