Look at these sentences:
Tu te souviens de ton professeur de maths?
Do you remember your math teacher?
Tu te rappelles ton professeur de maths?
Do you remember your math teacher?
Je me souviens de cet été merveilleux.
I remember this wonderful summer.
Je me rappelle cet été merveilleux.
I remember this wonderful summer.
Tu te souviens de moi ?
Do you remember me?
Je me rappelle le premier cadeau que tu m'as fait.
I remember the first gift you gave me.
To express remembering in French, there are two main phrases you can use:
- Se souvenir de <quelque chose> which is the slightly more sophisticated option.
Here you can never omit the de.
Note also that when de is followed by le or les, you will use the contracted forms du or des, and that de un and de une will become d'un and d'une:
Je me souviens du premier cadeau que tu m'as fait.
I remember the first gift you gave me.
Tu te souviens des frères Jackson ?
Do you remember the Jackson Brothers?
Je me souviens d'une nuit pluvieuse, où tu es venu me voir.
I remember a rainy night, when you came to see me.
- Se rappeler (x) <quelque chose>
Colloquially, it's perfectly correct to use se rappeler de <> as well as se rappeler <> :
Tu te rappelles de ton professeur de maths?
Do you remember your math teacher?
Je me rappelle de cet été merveilleux.
I remember this wonderful summer.
ATTENTION:
In cases with stress pronouns (to remember me, you, him...), just like you'd use se souvenir de, you will use se rappeler DE <moi, toi, lui, elle, nous, vous, eux, elles> (literally "I remember of"):
Note: you can never say Tu te rappelles moi.
See also how to conjugate rappeler : Conjugate -eter and -eler verbs in Le Présent - main rule (ll / tt)
Learn more about these related French grammar topics
Examples and resources
Elle se rappelle de ce garçon.
She remembers this boy.
Je me souviens d'une nuit pluvieuse, où tu es venu me voir.
I remember a rainy night, when you came to see me.
Je me souviens de cet été merveilleux.
I remember this wonderful summer.
Tu te souviens de ton professeur de maths?
Do you remember your math teacher?
Elle se rappelle ce garçon.
She remembers this boy.
Tu te souviens des frères Jackson ?
Do you remember the Jackson Brothers?
Tu te rappelles de moi ?
Do you remember me?
Elle se souvient de ce garçon.
She remembers this boy.
Je me souviens du premier cadeau que tu m'as fait.
I remember the first gift you gave me.
Tu te souviens de moi ?
Do you remember me?
Je me rappelle de cet été merveilleux.
I remember this wonderful summer.
Tu te rappelles ton professeur de maths?
Do you remember your math teacher?
Je me rappelle de lui.
I remember him.
Je me rappelle le premier cadeau que tu m'as fait.
I remember the first gift you gave me.
Je me rappelle cet été merveilleux.
I remember this wonderful summer.
Tu te rappelles de ton professeur de maths?
Do you remember your math teacher?
Q&A
William
Kwiziq community member
23 February 2019
1 reply
Vous vous rappelez (des) îles Cyclades.
The question is "Vous vous souvenez des îles Cyclades. = Vous ________ îles Cyclades. You remember the Cyclades islands. I answered 'Vous vous rappelez îles Cyclades" but was marked wrong. I thought "de" was optional.
William
Kwiziq community member
24/02/19
Hi !
Je comprends maintenant pourquoi il faut inclure "des" dans cet exemple.
Pardon !
Ali
Kwiziq community member
29 November 2017
3 replies
Why is"Nous NE souvenons de notre dernier concert"? Surely "nous NOUS souvenons de... is correct?
Chris
Kwiziq community member
29/11/17
Nous ne nous souvenons pas de notre dernier concert.
Or, in the positive form (as you have correctly surmised):
Nous nous souvenons de notre dernier concert.
I hope that helps, -- Chris (not a native speaker).
Ali
Kwiziq community member
29/11/17
Ali
Kwiziq community member
29/11/17
Aurélie
Kwiziq language super star
17 March 2017
1 reply
Paul asked: "Can you please explain why "Je me rappelle le Québec." is correct ?
What are the ways of saying ''I remember Québec.'' ? Je me rappelle du Québec. / Je me souviens du Québec. / Je me rappelle le Québec.
Aurélie
Kwiziq language super star
17/03/17
Aurélie
Kwiziq language super star
19/09/16
Michael
Kwiziq community member
3/09/17
Laura
Kwiziq language super star
19/11/15
Sara
Kwiziq community member
20 May 2019
6 replies
se rappeler de vs. se rappeler
In an exam, would either of those be regarded as more grammatically correct/the preferred answer?
Chris
Kwiziq community member
20 May 2019
20/05/19
They are both correct.
Alan
Kwiziq community member
20 May 2019
20/05/19
Surely se rappeler de is colloquial and should be avoided in an exam?
(Except, apparently, when followed by the infinitive of a verb, when it is accepted as correct.)
http://www.lefigaro.fr/langue-francaise/dictee/2017/03/25/37005-20170325ARTFIG00004-se-rappeler-de-ne-faites-plus-la-faute.php
Chris
Kwiziq community member
20 May 2019
20/05/19
There are instances where rappeler requires de:
Sean me rappelle de lui. -- Sean reminds me of him.
Alan
Kwiziq community member
20 May 2019
20/05/19
OK, but apart from those exceptions, se rappeler de should be avoided. They are not "both correct".
Chris
Kwiziq community member
20 May 2019
20/05/19
Well, se rappeler de isn't wrong either. It is correct, when used correctly. Like most things in life. :)
Sara
Kwiziq community member
20 May 2019
20/05/19
Hi Chris & Alan, thank you both very much for your input! Alan: how resourceful of you to have found that link, thank you for your time.
Seems like this is still somewhat unresolved/ambiguous - any chance of an opinion from a mod? Maybe Aurélie?
Many thanks