Lembrar vs. Esquecer: When Does Portuguese Use ‘De’?
Lembrar and esquecer can take a direct object or appear with de, especially when the remembered or forgotten idea is an action.
Real Life Portuguese · 6 min read · Updated October 14, 2026
The short answer
In common Brazilian usage, lembrar algo and esquecer algo take the remembered item directly: lembrar o nome (remember the name), esquecer a chave (forget the key).
Use a direct object for the thing remembered or forgotten
You may also hear lembrar-se de and esquecer-se de, especially in careful or written language. The reflexive pronoun changes with the subject: me lembro, se esqueceu.
Lembro o nome dela, mas esqueci o sobrenome.
I remember her first name, but I forgot her last name.
Você lembra o endereço?
Do you remember the address?
Ele se esqueceu do ingresso.
He forgot the ticket.
Use de before an action you need to remember or forgot
When the next idea is an infinitive action, de is common: lembrar de ligar (remember to call), esquecer de responder (forget to reply). The same phrase can introduce a topic after lembrar-se or esquecer-se.
In spontaneous speech, forms vary. Learn both the direct-object pattern and the de pattern so you can recognize the range you will hear.
Lembra de me mandar a foto.
Remember to send me the photo.
Esqueci de comprar pão.
I forgot to buy bread.
Ela se lembrou de fechar a janela.
She remembered to close the window.
Put it into practice
A thing can follow lembrar or esquecer directly; an action commonly appears as de + infinitive. Reflexive forms with de are also widely used.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “Remember to send me the photo”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
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