Learn Spanish (Latin America): Un amigo íntimo siempre guarda buenos recuerdos. - A close friend always keeps good memories.

Not necessarily! While íntimo can refer to romantic or private things, the phrase un amigo íntimo is a very common way to say "a close friend" or "a best friend" without any romantic meaning. You can also say un amigo cercano.

Why use guarda for "keeps" instead of a verb like mantiene?

Guardar is generally used for storing physical things or putting them away, but it is also the natural choice for keeping things in your mind or heart. You use it in phrases like guardar recuerdos (to keep memories), guardar un secreto (to keep a secret), or guardar rencor (to hold a grudge).

Why is buenos placed before recuerdos instead of after?

Placing an adjective before the noun in Spanish often adds emotional weight or highlights an inherent quality. Buenos recuerdos emphasizes the warmth of the memories. If you said recuerdos buenos, it would sound more analytical, like you were sorting memories into a "good" pile and a "bad" pile.

I know recuerdo means "memory", but doesn't it also mean "souvenir"?

Yes, exactly! A recuerdo can be a memory in your mind, but it is also the everyday Spanish word for a physical souvenir or keepsake you bring back from vacation.