Use "recordar" for "to remind of..." ( = idea brought to your mind)
Use "recordar que" for "to remind that..."
Hola Shirley
Thank you for your question! Let's clarify the use of "recordar" in Spanish, especially regarding the expressions 'reminds me that' and 'brings to mind'.
In Spanish, when you want to say 'That reminds me that I have to pick up my son from school in 5 minutes', you would generally use "recordar que". This is because you are specifying a particular action or fact that needs to be remembered. The phrase "recordar que" is directly followed by a clause explaining exactly what needs to be remembered, hence the "que" (that) in the expression.
The phrase "Eso me recuerda que tengo que recoger a mi hijo del colegio en 5 minutos" correctly uses "recordar que" to mean 'reminds me that'. Here, "que" introduces the specific action that you are reminded to do.
The confusion might stem from the English expression 'brings to mind', which suggests something is triggered in your memory. In Spanish, while "recordar" can also be used without "que" when mentioning the thing or person remembered, the structure changes when you need to follow it with a specific action or fact. For your sentence, the correct translation requires "que" because it introduces a full clause explaining what you need to do.
I hope this helps clear up the confusion! If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.
¡Buena suerte con tus estudios de español!
Un saludo
Silvia
On a simplistic level, I remember writing in my notes:
“recordar que” + have to do something
In other words we use “recordar que” with an obligation.
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