Se souvenir is one of the two French verbs for to remember. It is always pronominal — you cannot say souvenir without a reflexive pronoun — and the action is always of something or someone, marked by the preposition de: je me souviens *de mon enfance, tu te souviens **de lui ?, elle se souvient **du premier jour. The *de is non-negotiable. Forgetting it (je me souviens mon enfance) is the single most stigmatized French-learner error in this corner of the grammar.
The conjugation belongs to the venir family: je me souviens, tu te souviens, il se souvient, nous nous souvenons, vous vous souvenez, ils se souviennent. Three-way stem alternation (souvien-, souven-, souvienn-) just like venir. The compound tenses use être (as all pronominal verbs do), and the participle souvenu shows agreement with the subject when the reflexive pronoun is the indirect object — which it is, here, since the direct object is the de-phrase. (See the agreement note below.) For practical purposes, agreement displays just like with motion-verb pronominals: je me suis souvenu (masc.) / je me suis souvenue (fem.).
This page is the full reference: paradigms, the all-important de preposition, the construction with que + indicative, the contrast with se rappeler, and the high-frequency idioms (si je me souviens bien…, autant que je me souvienne…).
The simple tenses
Se souvenir always carries a reflexive pronoun: me, te, se, nous, vous, se. The subject and the pronoun match in person. The conjugation otherwise follows venir.
Présent de l'indicatif
The classic 3e-groupe stem alternation: souvien- in the singular and 3pl (with double -nn- in 3pl), souven- in 1pl and 2pl.
| Person | Form | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| je | me souviens | /mə su.vjɛ̃/ |
| tu | te souviens | /tə su.vjɛ̃/ |
| il / elle / on | se souvient | /sə su.vjɛ̃/ |
| nous | nous souvenons | /nu su.və.nɔ̃/ |
| vous | vous souvenez | /vu su.və.ne/ |
| ils / elles | se souviennent | /sə su.vjɛn/ |
Singular and 3sg are perfectly homophonous (/suvjɛ̃/) with a nasal vowel; the 3pl souviennent /suvjɛn/ has the same vowel denasalized because the doubled -nn- is now a consonant. Same nasal/oral pattern as venir, viennent.
Je me souviens de mon premier jour à l'école comme si c'était hier.
I remember my first day of school like it was yesterday.
Tu te souviens de Pierre ? On l'a croisé hier au marché.
You remember Pierre? We ran into him yesterday at the market.
Mes grands-parents se souviennent encore très bien de la guerre.
My grandparents still remember the war very clearly.
Imparfait
Built on the souven- stem (from nous nous souvenons) plus regular imparfait endings.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | me souvenais |
| tu | te souvenais |
| il / elle / on | se souvenait |
| nous | nous souvenions |
| vous | vous souveniez |
| ils / elles | se souvenaient |
Je me souvenais bien de son visage, mais pas de son prénom.
I remembered his face just fine, but not his first name.
Mon père se souvenait de chaque détail des matchs de foot des années 80.
My father remembered every detail of soccer matches from the 80s.
Passé simple (literary)
Same vins, vint pattern as venir — the -ins endings, with the circumflex on 1pl/2pl.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | me souvins |
| tu | te souvins |
| il / elle / on | se souvint |
| nous | nous souvînmes |
| vous | vous souvîntes |
| ils / elles | se souvinrent |
Il se souvint alors d'une promesse faite il y a vingt ans. (literary)
He then remembered a promise made twenty years ago.
Futur simple
Stem souviendr- (irregular — same as venir → viendr-) plus regular futur endings. The d is part of the stem.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | me souviendrai |
| tu | te souviendras |
| il / elle / on | se souviendra |
| nous | nous souviendrons |
| vous | vous souviendrez |
| ils / elles | se souviendront |
Tu te souviendras toujours de ce voyage, j'en suis certain.
You'll always remember this trip — I'm sure of it.
On se souviendra longtemps de cet hiver glacial.
We'll remember this freezing winter for a long time.
Conditionnel présent
Same souviendr- stem as the futur, with imparfait endings.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | me souviendrais |
| tu | te souviendrais |
| il / elle / on | se souviendrait |
| nous | nous souviendrions |
| vous | vous souviendriez |
| ils / elles | se souviendraient |
Si tu y faisais plus attention, tu te souviendrais de ton mot de passe.
If you paid more attention, you'd remember your password.
Subjonctif présent
Stem souvienn- (same as 3pl present) for singular and 3pl; souven- for 1pl/2pl. Standard subjunctive endings.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| (que) je | me souvienne |
| (que) tu | te souviennes |
| (qu')il / elle / on | se souvienne |
| (que) nous | nous souvenions |
| (que) vous | vous souveniez |
| (qu')ils / elles | se souviennent |
The 1pl/2pl forms (nous souvenions, vous souveniez) are spelled identically to the imparfait — context distinguishes them.
Il faut qu'on se souvienne de prendre les billets demain matin.
We have to remember to bring the tickets tomorrow morning.
Bien que je m'en souvienne mal, j'ai l'impression que c'était l'été.
Although I remember it poorly, I have the impression it was summer.
Impératif
The imperative of pronominal verbs is special: in the affirmative, the reflexive pronoun moves after the verb and is hyphenated; te becomes toi (stressed form).
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| (tu) | souviens-toi |
| (nous) | souvenons-nous |
| (vous) | souvenez-vous |
Souviens-toi de ce que je t'ai dit hier soir.
Remember what I told you last night.
Souvenez-vous toujours de vos racines, c'est important.
Always remember your roots — it's important.
In the negative imperative, the pronoun returns to its preverbal position: ne te souviens pas, ne nous souvenons pas, ne vous souvenez pas — though negative imperatives of se souvenir are rare in practice (you don't usually order someone not to remember).
Participles and gérondif
- Participe passé: souvenu (feminine souvenue, plural souvenus / souvenues) — agrees with the subject in compound tenses
- Participe présent: se souvenant
- Gérondif: en se souvenant (the se must be present, with the gérondif's subject)
En me souvenant de cette nuit-là, j'ai un frisson dans le dos.
When I remember that night, I get a chill down my spine.
The compound tenses
Se souvenir uses être as its auxiliary in all compound tenses — like every pronominal verb. The participle souvenu agrees with the subject (in pronominal verbs, the surface effect is that the participle agrees with the reflexive pronoun, which itself co-refers with the subject).
Passé composé
être (présent) + souvenu(e)(s)
| Subject | Form |
|---|---|
| je (masc.) | me suis souvenu |
| je (fem.) | me suis souvenue |
| tu (masc.) | t'es souvenu |
| tu (fem.) | t'es souvenue |
| il / on | s'est souvenu |
| elle | s'est souvenue |
| nous (masc. or mixed) | nous sommes souvenus |
| nous (fem.) | nous sommes souvenues |
| vous (masc. sg., or mixed pl.) | vous êtes souvenu(s) |
| vous (fem.) | vous êtes souvenue(s) |
| ils / elles | se sont souvenu(e)s |
Je me suis souvenue trop tard que c'était son anniversaire.
I remembered too late that it was her birthday. (speaker is female: souvenue with -e)
Tu t'es souvenu de mettre la voiture au garage ?
Did you remember to put the car in the garage? (addressee is male)
Elle s'est tout à coup souvenue de son mot de passe.
She suddenly remembered her password.
On s'est tous souvenus de ces vacances avec émotion.
We all remembered those vacations with emotion.
Plus-que-parfait, futur antérieur, conditionnel passé
The other compound tenses follow the standard être + souvenu(e)(s) pattern.
Je m'étais souvenue de ton numéro, mais je l'ai perdu.
I'd remembered your number, but I've lost it.
Quand tu te seras souvenu de son nom, dis-le moi.
When you've remembered her name, tell me.
Je me serais souvenue de lui apporter un cadeau si tu m'avais prévenue.
I'd have remembered to bring him a gift if you'd warned me.
The core uses
1. Se souvenir DE quelqu'un / quelque chose — to remember someone / something
This is the signature pattern — and the de preposition is mandatory. The thing being remembered is introduced by de.
se souvenir *DE + noun*
Je me souviens de mes étés en Bretagne avec une nostalgie incroyable.
I remember my summers in Brittany with incredible nostalgia.
Tu te souviens de ce film qu'on avait vu ensemble en mars ?
Do you remember that movie we watched together in March?
Je ne me souviens plus du tout de cette personne, désolé.
I don't remember this person at all, sorry.
When de combines with a definite article, it contracts: de + le → du, de + les → des. With names or possessives, de stays separate: de Pierre, de mon père.
Je me souviens du jour où on s'est rencontrés.
I remember the day we met.
Elle se souvient de tous les invités du mariage.
She remembers every guest from the wedding.
2. S'en souvenir — to remember it
When the de + noun complement is replaced by a pronoun, French uses the clitic en (which means of it / of them). S'en souvenir is "to remember it." The clitic en sits between the reflexive and the verb.
Tu te souviens de la fête ? — Oui, je m'en souviens très bien.
Do you remember the party? — Yes, I remember it very well.
Cette histoire, je m'en souviendrai toute ma vie.
That story, I'll remember all my life.
Je ne m'en souviens plus du tout.
I don't remember it at all anymore.
The contrast with the personal pronoun de lui / d'elle / d'eux (when the referent is animate) and en (when inanimate or generic) is worth keeping in mind:
Pierre ? Oui, je me souviens de lui, on était à l'université ensemble.
Pierre? Yes, I remember him — we were at university together.
Mes années à Paris ? Oh oui, je m'en souviens parfaitement.
My years in Paris? Oh yes, I remember them perfectly.
For people, both me souvenir d'eux and (less formal) m'en souvenir are heard, but de lui / d'elle / d'eux is preferred when the referent is human.
3. Se souvenir que + indicative — to remember that…
When the thing remembered is a full proposition (a clause), use que + indicative. No de before que.
se souvenir *que + indicative*
Je me souviens qu'il faisait très chaud cette année-là.
I remember it was very hot that year.
Tu te souviens qu'on doit appeler le plombier demain ?
Do you remember we have to call the plumber tomorrow?
Souviens-toi qu'on a une réunion à 10 heures.
Remember we have a meeting at 10.
The verb in the que-clause is in whatever indicative tense the proposition demands. Subjunctive is incorrect after affirmative se souvenir que — the verb is factive (it presupposes truth).
4. Se souvenir DE + infinitif — to remember to do
When the action remembered is an infinitive, the de preposition must still appear before it.
se souvenir *DE + infinitif*
Je me suis souvenu de fermer la porte à clé, ne t'inquiète pas.
I remembered to lock the door, don't worry.
Tu te souviens d'arroser les plantes ce week-end ?
Will you remember to water the plants this weekend?
Souviens-toi d'apporter ton passeport demain.
Remember to bring your passport tomorrow.
In the past tense, se souvenir d'avoir + participe expresses to remember having done:
Je me souviens d'avoir vu cet acteur au théâtre il y a vingt ans.
I remember having seen this actor at the theater twenty years ago.
Elle ne se souvient pas d'avoir signé ce contrat.
She doesn't remember signing that contract.
High-frequency idioms
- si je me souviens bien… — if I remember correctly…
- autant que je m'en souvienne… — as far as I can remember… (subjunctive — the autant que clause hedges)
- si ma mémoire ne me trompe pas… (related) — if my memory doesn't betray me
- un souvenir (related noun) — a memory
- garder un bon / mauvais souvenir de — to have fond / bad memories of
- en souvenir de — in memory of
- à mes / tes / ses souvenirs (closing of letter) — with my regards
Si je me souviens bien, leur fils s'appelle Antoine.
If I remember correctly, their son's name is Antoine.
Autant que je m'en souvienne, c'était un mardi soir.
As far as I can remember, it was a Tuesday evening.
Je garde un excellent souvenir de mes années à Lyon.
I have wonderful memories of my years in Lyon.
Cette plaque a été posée en souvenir des soldats tombés.
This plaque was placed in memory of the fallen soldiers.
Se souvenir vs se rappeler: the critical contrast
This is the headline grammatical lesson and worth repeating because it's the single most error-prone area for French learners.
| Verb | Preposition? | Example |
|---|---|---|
| se souvenir | DE (always) | Je me souviens *de mon enfance* |
| se rappeler | none (direct object) | Je me rappelle mon enfance |
Both verbs mean to remember. They are roughly synonymous in meaning but syntactically opposite: se souvenir requires de, while se rappeler takes a direct object with no preposition.
Je me souviens de cette chanson.
I remember this song. (with se souvenir + de)
Je me rappelle cette chanson.
I remember this song. (with se rappeler + DO)
The mistake that most French learners — and many native speakers in casual speech — make is to mix the two: ❌ je me rappelle de cette chanson. This is heard everywhere in informal French, but it is condemned by prescriptive grammar. In formal writing, formal speech, and exams, you must keep them apart. See verbs/thought-verbs/se-rappeler-vs-se-souvenir for the full discussion.
Comparison with English
Three friction points:
- The de preposition. English remember X takes a bare direct object. French se souvenir takes de
- The reflexive that isn't reflexive. Se souvenir is intrinsically pronominal — the se is part of the verb, not a "myself" pronoun. English remember is not reflexive in any way. The me, te, se in je me souviens, tu te souviens, il se souvient is a meaningless grammatical marker — don't try to translate it as myself, yourself, himself.
- The being able to angle. English I can't remember often becomes French je ne me souviens plus (literally: I no longer remember) rather than je ne peux pas me souvenir. French treats memory as a state you are in or fall out of, not a capability you exercise.
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Forgetting de before the noun.
❌ Je me souviens mon enfance.
Wrong — se souvenir always takes de before its complement: je me souviens DE mon enfance.
✅ Je me souviens de mon enfance.
I remember my childhood.
Mistake 2: Forgetting de before the infinitive.
❌ Souviens-toi fermer la porte.
Wrong — even before an infinitive, the de preposition is required: souviens-toi DE fermer la porte.
✅ Souviens-toi de fermer la porte.
Remember to close the door.
Mistake 3: Using avoir in compound tenses.
❌ J'ai souvenu de cette histoire.
Wrong on two counts: pronominal verbs cannot drop the reflexive pronoun, AND they always use être, not avoir. Should be: je me suis souvenu(e) de cette histoire.
✅ Je me suis souvenu de cette histoire. / Je me suis souvenue de cette histoire.
I remembered that story. (masc. / fem.)
Mistake 4: Forgetting participle agreement with feminine subject.
❌ Marie s'est souvenu de moi.
Wrong — the participle agrees with the subject in pronominal verbs. Marie is feminine, so souvenue with -e.
✅ Marie s'est souvenue de moi.
Marie remembered me.
Mistake 5: Mixing the constructions of se souvenir and se rappeler.
❌ Je me rappelle de cette chanson.
Wrong (in standard French) — se rappeler does NOT take de. The de belongs with se souvenir. Heard everywhere in casual speech, but stigmatized in formal usage.
✅ Je me souviens de cette chanson. / Je me rappelle cette chanson.
I remember this song. (with se souvenir + de OR se rappeler + DO)
Key takeaways
Se souvenir is always pronominal (no non-pronominal souvenir exists as a verb), conjugates like venir (three-way stem alternation: souvien-, souven-, souvienn-; futur stem souviendr-), and uses être in compound tenses with subject-agreeing participle (je me suis souvenu / je me suis souvenue).
The signature construction is se souvenir DE + complement: de + noun (je me souviens de toi), de + infinitive (je me souviens d'avoir vu), que + indicative (no de: je me souviens qu'il pleuvait). The clitic en replaces de + thing: je m'en souviens.
The most-repeated lesson: do not confuse se souvenir (with de) and se rappeler (no preposition). The mixed form ❌ je me rappelle de… is heard in casual French but stigmatized in standard usage. To stay safe: je me souviens *de… / *je me rappelle… with no preposition.
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- Se Rappeler: Full Verb ReferenceA1 — Se rappeler is the second French verb for to remember — and the one that takes a direct object, no preposition. Je me rappelle son nom, never *je me rappelle DE son nom (in standard French). It conjugates like appeler with the -eler doubling pattern (je me rappelle, nous nous rappelons, je me rappellerai). The infamous mixed form je me rappelle DE… is everywhere in spoken French but condemned by grammarians. This page covers the paradigms, the syntax, and the standard-vs-spoken split that makes this one of the most contested points of French grammar.
- Venir: Full Verb ReferenceA1 — Venir is the verb to come — but its real importance is the construction venir de + infinitive (passé récent: just did). It also heads a productive family of compound verbs: revenir, devenir, parvenir, prévenir. This page is the full reference: every paradigm, every compound tense, the core uses, and the family.
- Se Rappeler vs Se SouvenirB1 — Two French verbs for 'remember,' identical in meaning but different in syntax. Se rappeler takes a direct object — no preposition. Se souvenir takes 'de' before its complement. Mixing them produces the most stigmatized grammatical mistake in spoken French. Add retenir, mémoriser, and oublier and the page covers the whole memory cluster.
- Verbes Essentiellement PronominauxA2 — Some French verbs always carry a reflexive pronoun even when there is no reflexive meaning at all — *se souvenir*, *se moquer*, *s'évanouir*, *se taire*. The 'se' is part of the verb's lexical entry. A second category of verbs has both pronominal and non-pronominal forms with completely different meanings.
- L'Accord du Participe Passé des Verbes PronominauxB1 — Pronominal verbs use *être* in compound tenses but follow a different agreement rule than other *être* verbs: the past participle agrees with the reflexive pronoun *only when that pronoun is the direct object*. Body-part constructions and verbs taking *à quelqu'un* are the trap.