Difference between “remember” and “remind”

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Remember

Remember is when you think of a memory (a past experience):

• I remember the first time I ever swam in the ocean, when I was 5 years old.
• Do you remember what happened when Joe forgot to buy a present for his wife on her birthday?
• I don’t think he remembers that we met 30 years ago.

Remember is also the opposite of “forget.” You can use remember to talk about keeping something in your mind:

• Please remember to wash the dishes after you finish eating lunch.
• I was already at work when I suddenly remembered I had a dentist appointment at 9:30. I called the dentist and rescheduled it for the next day.
• I can’t remember her name. Is it Alice or Annie?

Remind

Remind is when a person or thing makes you think about something.

• My mother reminded me to wash the dishes after I finished eating lunch.
• The secretary reminded Mr. Greene that he had a meeting at 4:30.
• Josh uses the calendar on his cell phone to remind him about important dates.
• Our shopping list reminds us what we need to buy at the supermarket.