记忆 (jì yì) — to remember, to recall; memory

Definition

记忆 is both 'memory' (noun, the faculty or stored memories) and 'to remember/recall' (verb), more formal than 记得. Use 回忆 or 回想 for actively recollecting the past.

to rememberto recallmemory

Measure word · 个

Easily confused

技艺jì yìsound-alikeskill; art; craftsmanship

Examples

记忆。
Tā nǔ lì jì yì hěn duō yīng wén dān cí.
He tried hard to remember many English words.
记忆。
Zhè xiē zhào piàn dài lái měi hǎo de jì yì.
These photos bring back beautiful memories.
记忆。
Zhè ge shì jiàn liú zài le wǒ de jì yì zhōng.
This incident stays in my memory.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

记jìremember

忆yìremember

记 and 忆 both mean remember, so together they mean memory.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 記; 记 is its simplified writing.

言己記

Meaning part形符xíngfú

言言yánspeech; words

Sound part声符shēngfú

己

己jǐ記jì

Same sound today

The traditional form 記 pairs 言 (speech; words) with 己 as a sound part; the simplified 记 is a later shorthand, so its right side is not the historical component.

Open 记 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

忄乙忆

Meaning part形符xíngfú

忄Written in full as心xīnheart

Sound part声符shēngfú

乙

乙yǐ忆yì

Same sound today

忆 pairs 忄 (heart) with 乙 as a sound part, forming a character for remembering.

Open 忆 →

Appears in