Skip to main content

remind and remember

Meaning: remind and remember​

These two verbs are not the same. Reminding somebody means ‘making somebody remember’. Compare:

  • Remind me to call Andy. (not Remember me to call …)
    I’m afraid I won’t remember to call Andy.
  • This sort of weather reminds me of my home. (not This sort of weather remembers me …)
    This sort of weather makes me remember my home.

But note the special use of remember in Remember me to your parents (= ‘Give my best wishes to your parents’) and similar sentences.

note

For remember + -ing form or infinitive, (see here)

Structures​

After remind, we can use an infinitive structure (for actions) or a that-clause (for facts).

  • Please remind me to go to the bank. (not Please remind me of going …)
  • I reminded him that we hadn’t got any bread left.

remind … of …​

We use remind … of to say that something/somebody makes us remember the past, or things that have been forgotten.

  • The smell of hay always reminds me of our old house in the country. (not … reminds me our old house …)
  • Remind me of your phone number.

We can also use remind … of to talk about similarities.

  • She reminds me of her mother. (= She is like her mother.)