记忆

• Pinyin: jì yì
• Hanzi breakdown: 记 = 讠(speech) + 己 (self), meaning to record; 忆 = 忄(heart) + 乙 (second), meaning to recall

Meaning

Memory; to remember. The faculty of recalling past experiences or stored information.

Can function as both a noun (memory) and a verb (to memorize). Used in contexts ranging from personal recollections to cognitive science. 记忆力 specifically refers to one's memory capacity or ability.

Examples

1. 这张老照片唤起了我童年的美好记忆。 This old photo evoked wonderful memories of my childhood.
2. 随着年龄增长，他的记忆力明显下降了。 As he gets older, his memory has noticeably declined.
3. 学习语言需要记忆大量的词汇和语法规则。 Learning a language requires memorizing a large amount of vocabulary and grammar rules.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, psychology, education, nostalgia

Tone: reflective

Do Say

• 我对那件事没有记忆了。(I have no memory of that incident.)
• 请记忆这个电话号码。(Please memorize this phone number.)

Don't Say

• 我的记忆告诉我去商店 (记忆 doesn't give instructions — use 我记得 for 'I remember')

Origin & History

Compound of 记 (to record, remember) + 忆 (to recall, remember), both involving the mental process of remembering.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal