Spanish, like many languages, has subtle nuances that can often trip up learners, particularly when it comes to verbs with similar meanings. Two such verbs are acordarse and recordar, both of which are related to the concept of memory but are used in different contexts and constructions. Understanding when and how to use these verbs correctly is crucial for effective communication.

This article aims to clarify the distinctions between acordarse and recordar, providing examples and explanations to help you grasp their unique uses and avoid common mistakes. Mastering these verbs will enhance your fluency and precision in the language.

Acordarse and Recordar

In Spanish, the verbs acordarse and recordar both relate to the act of remembering, but they are used differently. Acordarse is a pronominal verb that requires the preposition de, as in acordarse de algo (to remember something). In contrast, recordar is a transitive verb that does not need a preposition and directly takes an object, as in recordar algo (to remember something). This article explores the grammatical differences, usage patterns, and nuances of these verbs, providing clear examples to illustrate their correct application. Understanding the distinctions between acordarse and recordar will help you use these verbs accurately, enhancing their overall command of Spanish.

Acordarse (to remember)

Acordarse is a pronominal verb. It means that it’s always used with a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se…) and it’s followed by the preposition de.

You can use it to talk about people or things. Let’s look at the following examples with acordarse in Presente.

Raquel nunca se acuerda de mi cumpleaños, es muy despistada.

Raquel never remembers my birthday, she is very absent-minded.

¿Te acuerdas de la hermana de Regina? Está viviendo en Praga.

Do you remember Regina’s sister? She is living in Prague.

No me acuerdo bien de Julia. Nos conocimos hace mucho tiempo.

I don’t remember Julia well. We met a long time ago.

Luis, Ángel y Sofía se acuerdan de nuestro viaje a Grecia. Ayer hablamos de eso.

Luis, Ángel and Sofía remember our trip to Greece. Yesterday we talked about it.

Natalia siempre se acuerda de comprar pan para todos. Come con nosotros después de clase.

Natalia always remembers to buy bread for everyone. She eats lunch with us after class.

Now let’s see some examples with acordarse in Pretérito Indefinido.

¿Te acordaste de visitar a la abuela en el hospital?

Did you remember to visit grandma at the hospital?

Mis padres no se acordaron de comprar naranjas.

My parents didn’t remember to buy oranges.

Ayer no nos acordamos de apagar las luces de tu casa.

Yesterday we didn’t remember to turn off the lights of your house.

Ayer me acordé del órgano de la iglesia, es muy bonito.

Yesterday I remembered the organ of the church, it’s very beautiful.

¿Os acordasteis de limpiar la casa después de la fiesta? Mamá vuelve hoy a casa.

Did you remember to clean the house after the party? Mom’s coming home today.

Recordar (to remember, to remind)

Now, let’s look at recordar. This verb can be used instead of acordarse de with the same meaning of to remember something. You don’t use neither a reflexive pronoun nor de in this case.

Recuerdo ese libro muy bien. Es uno de mis favoritos.

Me acuerdo de ese libro muy bien. Es uno de mis favoritos.

I remember that book very well. It’s one of my favorites.

¿Recuerdas cuando te regalaron un acordeón para tu cumpleaños?

¿Te acuerdas de cuando te regalaron un acordeón para tu cumpleaños?

Do you remember when they gave you an accordion for your birthday?

Paula nos mostró fotos antiguas, recordamos nuestros abuelos juntos.

Paula nos mostró fotos antiguas, nos acordamos de nuestros abuelos juntos.

Paula showed us old photographs, we remembered our grandparents together.

¿Recordáis la dirección del restaurante? Queremos ir allí con mi hermano.

¿Os acordáis de la dirección del restaurante? Queremos ir allí con mi hermano.

Do you remember the address of the restaurant? We want to go there with my brother.

Nunca recuerdo comprar café. Siempre se me olvida.

Nunca me acuerdo de comprar café. Siempre se me olvida.

I never remember to buy coffee. I always forget about it.

A big difference is that recordar can be used as to remind (of) oneself or someone else. You should use an indirect object pronoun with this meaning of recordar. Look at the following examples.

María recuerda que mañana es festivo.

María remembers that tomorrow is a bank holiday.

María me recuerda a tu hermana.

María reminds me of your sister.

María me recuerda que tengo que comprar café.

María reminds me that I have to buy coffee.

Tu hermana me recuerda a ti, las dos sois rubias y altas.

Your sister reminds me of you, both of you are blonde and tall.

Os recuerdo el horario de apertura del museo, es de nueve de la mañana a seis de la tarde.

I remind you of the opening hours of the museum, it is from nine in the morning to six in the afternoon.

Manuel le recordó a su amiga el aniversario de boda de sus padres. Ella tiene mala memoria.

Manuel reminded her friend of the wedding anniversary of her parents. She has a bad memory.

La madre de Carmina le recuerda cada día practicar con el arpa para el concierto del sábado.

Carmina’s mom reminds her every day to practice with the harp for the concert on Saturday.

Exercises

Let’s do some exercises to practice acordarse and recordar in Spanish.

Exercise 1

Exercise 2

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Verbs