verb HSK 5
Traditional 憶
to recall · to remember · to reminisce
Meaning
忆 means to remember or recall something from the past, often with an emotional or nostalgic quality. It's more literary and reflective than the everyday word 记得 (jìde). The character appears frequently in poetry and formal writing to express recollection of memories.
Usage
忆 is primarily used in written or literary contexts. In everyday speech, people more commonly use 记得 (jìde) or 想起 (xiǎngqǐ). It often appears in compounds like 回忆 (huíyì, to recall) or 记忆 (jìyì, memory), and conveys a sense of thoughtful or wistful remembering rather than simple factual recall.
Examples
- 01每当看到这张照片，我就会忆起童年时光。, .Whenever I see this photo, I recall my childhood days.
- 02他常常独自一人，追忆过去的美好时光。, .He often sits alone, reminiscing about the beautiful times of the past.
Common collocations
- 回忆起to recall, think back to
- 追忆to recall with nostalgia
- 忆往昔to recall the past
Antonyms
Origin
The traditional form 憶 consists of 心 (xīn, heart) as the semantic component and 意 (yì, meaning/intention) as the phonetic component, suggesting that remembering involves the heart/mind.