German · Everyday Verbs
"to remember" in German: sich erinnern
sich erinnern
To remember in German is sich erinnern. Say Ich erinnere mich an dich. You need the reflexive mich/dich/sich plus an + accusative for what you remember.
Old photo
Ich erinnere mich noch an den Urlaub.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce sich erinnern
Say it
zikh er-IN-ern
/zɪç ɛɐ̯ˈɪnɐn/
zikh er-IN-ern. Stress IN. Soft -ern ending.
"to remember" in German: quick reference
| German | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| sich erinnern | to remember Core reflexive verb. | Core reflexive verb. |
| ich erinnere mich | I remember Present first person. | Present first person. |
| erinnerst du dich? | do you remember? Friendly check. | Friendly check. |
| sich an etwas erinnern | to remember something an + accusative. | an + accusative. |
How to use sich erinnern in real life
- 1Old photo
Ich erinnere mich noch an den Urlaub.
I still remember the vacation.
An + accusative object.
- 2Asking a friend
Erinnerst du dich an ihren Namen?
Do you remember her name?
Erinnerst + dich.
- 3Forgot details
Er erinnert sich kaum an die Adresse.
He barely remembers the address.
Third person erinnert sich.
Mistakes English speakers make with sich erinnern
Incorrect: Ich erinnere den Film.
Correct: Ich erinnere mich an den Film.
Need sich + an; English "remember X" does not map word-for-word.
Incorrect: Ich habe eine Erinnerung an dich (only).
Correct: Ich erinnere mich an dich.
Die Erinnerung is a noun; the headword verb needs erinnern with sich.
Good to know
Sich erinnern is the default for bringing something back to mind. Germans also say Das bleibt mir in Erinnerung for lasting memories. For "remind me," use erinner mich bitte an…, still the same verb family.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Replaying a shared trip
ChatPal
Erinnerst du dich an das kleine Café?
Do you remember the little café?
You
Klar, ich erinnere mich an den Apfelkuchen.
Sure, I remember the apple cake.
ChatPal
Gut. Ich erinnere mich auch an den Regen danach.
Good. I also remember the rain afterward.
You
Ja. Daran erinnere ich mich besonders gut.
Yes. I remember that especially well.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"to remember" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to remember" in German
How do you say I remember?
Ich erinnere mich (an…).
Do you remember?
Erinnerst du dich?
What follows erinnern?
Usually an + accusative for the thing remembered.
Is Erinnerung okay?
As a noun yes, but the headword verb needs erinnern with sich.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
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- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
