напоминать vs напомнить
napominat' vs napomnit' — to remind repeatedly vs to remind once
Register: neutral
What it really means
Напоминать is imperfective: it describes a reminder in progress, a repeated habit, or an ongoing resemblance (“remind someone of”). Напомнить is perfective: one completed reminder or a request to make sure someone remembers. The person reminded takes the dative, and the thing remembered is commonly о + prepositional or a subordinate clause.
Examples in natural speech
Напомни мне позвонить врачу.
Remind me to call the doctor.
Она часто напоминает мне о дедушке.
She often reminds me of my grandfather.
Я напомню ему о встрече завтра.
I will remind him about the meeting tomorrow.
Он постоянно напоминает об этом правиле.
He constantly reminds us about this rule.
Это лицо напоминает мне актёра.
This face reminds me of an actor.
Common mistakes
Use the dative for the person: напомнить мне, not *напомнить я. Do not choose perfective merely because English says “will remind” when the reminder is habitual; use буду напоминать for an ongoing/repeated action.
Memory tip
Напомнить is one completed ping; напоминать is the recurring reminder or resemblance.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between напомнить о and напомнить что?
Напомнить о встрече names the topic; напомнить, что встреча завтра introduces the remembered proposition.
Can напоминать mean “look like”?
Yes: он напоминает отца means “he resembles his father,” with the object in the accusative.
How do I say “don't forget to remind me”?
Не забудь мне напомнить uses the perfective напомнить for the single reminder that should be completed.
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