recall - Meaning, Usage, and Translations Across 30 Languages

The Word “Recall”: Meaning, Usage, and Translations Across 30 Languages

The word “recall” is a versatile term in the English language, used in various contexts to describe the act of remembering something or bringing it back to mind. It can also refer to the act of calling back or retrieving something, such as a product, a message, or even a person. The word has multiple meanings and uses, both in everyday conversation and more formal settings, such as business, law, and memory recall.

Meaning of “Recall”:

Primary Definition: “Recall” generally refers to the ability or act of bringing something back into one’s mind. It is often used when referring to memory or retrieval of information or an event that has happened in the past.
- Example: “I can clearly recall the events of that day.”
In the Context of Memory: Recall refers to the ability to retrieve information from memory. It is often used in discussions of cognitive processes, like remembering a past event or recalling a piece of information.
- Example: “During the test, I couldn’t recall the answer to that question.”
In the Context of Products or Goods: The term “recall” is frequently used in business and product safety when companies remove a product from the market due to safety issues or defects. In this case, it means to ask customers to return a product.
- Example: “The company issued a recall for the faulty toys.”
In the Context of Elections or Law: “Recall” can also refer to the process of removing a public official from office before their term is over, often through a petition or vote.
- Example: “The citizens filed a petition to recall the mayor.”
In General Usage: The word can be used more informally when referring to the act of calling someone back or retrieving something, such as a message or phone call.
- Example: “Please recall the message I sent earlier.”

Common Uses of “Recall” in Sentences:

In Memory or Thinking:
- “I can vividly recall the moment I first met him.”
- “She tried to recall the name of the restaurant where they had dinner.”
In Product Safety:
- “The company decided to recall all of the defective smartphones.”
- “There was a recall on the car model due to brake issues.”
In Political Contexts:
- “The voters have started a petition to recall the senator.”
- “In some countries, citizens can recall elected officials during their term.”
In Business or Communication:
- “I had to recall the invitation because of a scheduling conflict.”
- “He recalled the offer after considering the terms more carefully.”

Translations of “Recall” in 30 Languages

Language	Translation	Example Sentence
Spanish	Recordar	“No puedo recordar lo que pasó anoche.”
French	Rappeler	“Il a rappelé les événements du matin.”
German	Erinnern	“Ich kann mich an das Treffen erinnern.”
Italian	Ricordare	“Non riesco a ricordare il nome del ristorante.”
Portuguese	Recordar	“Eles decidiram recordar o produto devido ao defeito.”
Dutch	Herinneren	“Hij kon zich niet herinneren wat hij gezegd had.”
Russian	Вспоминать (Vspominate)	“Я не могу вспомнить, что случилось.”
Chinese (Simplified)	记得 (Jìdé)	“我记得那天的所有细节。”
Japanese	思い出す (Omoidasu)	“彼はその事件を思い出した。”
Korean	기억하다 (Gieokhada)	“나는 그 사건을 기억할 수 없다.”
Hindi	याद करना (Yād karnā)	“मैं उस दिन को अच्छी तरह याद कर सकता हूं।”
Bengali	মনে পড়া (Mone Poṛā)	“সে আজকেও সেই ঘটনাটি মনে পড়েছে।”
Turkish	Hatırlamak	“O günkü olayları hatırlayamıyorum.”
Greek	Θυμάμαι (Thymamai)	“Θυμάμαι τη στιγμή που την είδα για πρώτη φορά.”
Hebrew	לזכור (Lizkor)	“אני לא מצליח לזכור את שמו.”
Swedish	Komma ihåg	“Jag kan inte komma ihåg hans namn.”
Norwegian	Huske	“Jeg husker den hendelsen veldig godt.”
Danish	Huske	“Jeg kan ikke huske den dagen.”
Finnish	Muistaa	“En muista tapahtumaa.”
Polish	Pamiętać	“Nie mogę sobie przypomnieć tej historii.”
Czech	Vzpomínat	“Nemohu si vzpomenout na tu písničku.”
Hungarian	Emlékezni	“Nem tudom felidézni, mi történt.”
Romanian	A-și aminti	“Nu-mi amintesc acele momente.”
Thai	จำได้ (Jàm dâi)	“ฉันจำได้ว่าเขาเคยพูดอะไร.”
Vietnamese	Nhớ lại	“Tôi không thể nhớ lại sự việc hôm qua.”
Indonesian	Mengingatkan	“Saya ingatkan dia tentang janji.”
Malay	Ingat	“Dia tidak ingat kejadian itu.”
Swahili	Kukumbuka	“Alikumbuka tukio hilo wazi.”
Filipino	Alalahanin	“Hindi ko matandaan kung saan ko iniwan iyon.”
Arabic	تذكر (Tadhakkar)	“لا أستطيع تذكر ما حدث بالأمس.”
Tamil	நினைவில் (Niṉaivil)	“அந்த நிகழ்வுகளை நான் நினைத்தேன்.”
Telugu	గుర్తు చేయు (Guṛṭu cēyu)	“ఆ రోజు జరిగిన విషయం నాకు గుర్తు లేదు.”
Punjabi	ਯਾਦ ਕਰਨਾ (Yād karnā)	“ਮੈਨੂੰ ਉਸ ਦਿਨ ਦੀ ਯਾਦ ਆ ਗਈ ਹੈ।”
Arabic (Modern Standard)	تذكر (Tadhakkar)	“لم أتمكن من تذكر ما حدث في ذلك اليوم.”
Malayalam	ഓർമ്മിക്കുക (Ōṟm’mikkuka)	“ഞാനത് ഓർമ്മിക്കുന്നില്ല.”

Additional Examples:

Spanish:
- “No recuerdo dónde dejé las llaves.”
- “El recuerdo de esa conversación siempre me queda.”
French:
- “Je me souviens très bien de ce jour-là.”
- “Je ne peux pas me rappeler du numéro.”
German:
- “Ich erinnere mich an den Tag, als wir uns trafen.”
- “Kannst du dich an das Bild erinnern?”
Japanese:
- “その出来事を思い出すのは難しい。”
- “彼女は私の名前を覚えているだろうか？”
Arabic:
- “أنا لا أتذكر تلك اللحظة بوضوح.”
- “تذكرته فور سماعي صوته.”

The word “recall” serves as a versatile tool in the English language, applicable in many contexts such as memory, product safety, law, and communication. Whether used to describe the act of remembering a past event, recalling a defective product, or even removing a politician from office, the concept of recall is fundamental in both everyday and professional settings. Understanding how “recall” is used across various languages adds to its depth and importance in communication worldwide.