recall

Compared meaning: to bring something back to mind (verb).

比较义项：想起、记得、回忆起某事（动词）。

• think

  Used mainly in fixed phrases like 'can't think' or 'let me think' when struggling to recall something; informal and spoken, rarely used as a plain statement of remembering.

  主要用于“can't think”、“let me think”等固定搭配，表示努力回想某事；口语化，很少用作陈述“记得”的普通说法。

  Let me think… oh yes, her name was Sarah.

  让我想想……哦，对了，她叫Sarah。

• remember

  The neutral, most common word for having or bringing something back into your mind; works naturally in statements, questions and negatives in everyday speech.

  是最中性、最常用的“记得”，可自然用于陈述句、疑问句和否定句等各种日常场合。

  I remember meeting her at a party years ago.

  我记得多年前在一次聚会上见过她。

• recall 本词

  More formal than remember; suggests a deliberate, often effortful retrieval of a specific detail, and is common in official, written or serious contexts.

  比 remember 更正式，强调有意识地、费力地回忆某个具体细节，常见于正式、书面或严肃场合。

  The witness could not recall the exact time of the incident.

  这位证人回忆不起事件发生的确切时间。

Think, remember and recall all mean bringing something back to mind, but usage differs. Think appears mainly in fixed phrases like 'let me think'. Remember is the neutral word for having something in mind. Recall is more formal. Think can mean 'believe'.

这三个词都表示“想起、记住某事”，但语域和用法不同：think 多用于“can't think”或“let me think”这类口语固定搭配，表示努力回想；remember 是最常用、最中性的日常用词；recall 更正式，常见于正式场合或书面语中对具体细节的回忆。这里不比较 think 的“认为、思考”义，也不比较 recall 的“召回产品等”义。

Compared meaning: the act of remembering the past (noun).

比较义项：回忆（这一行为本身）（名词）。

• recall 本词

  Neutral, cognitive: the mental act of retrieving a specific fact or detail from memory; often used with 'can/can't' and works for precise, factual information.

  语气中性，强调认知层面：从记忆中提取具体事实或细节的心理过程；常与 can / can't 连用，适用于精确、事实性的信息。

  The witness's recall of the license plate number amazed the detectives.

  目击者对车牌号码的回忆令侦探们感到惊讶。

• reminiscence

  Nostalgic and often social: dwelling on and talking about pleasant past experiences, usually at length; suggests warmth and shared storytelling rather than precise recall of facts.

  带有怀旧色彩，常具社交性：沉浸于并谈论愉快的往昔经历，通常篇幅较长；强调温情与讲述分享，而非对事实的精确回忆。

  The old friends' reunion drifted into hours of reminiscence about their college years.

  老朋友们的聚会渐渐变成了长达数小时对大学时光的追忆。

Both words mean remembering the past. Recall is neutral: pulling a specific fact from memory. Reminiscence is nostalgic: enjoying and talking about pleasant past experiences, often warmly and socially. Recall can also mean product recall, a meaning not compared here.

这两个词都指“回忆”这一行为，但语气不同：recall 强调从记忆中提取具体信息的心理过程，中性、客观；reminiscence 则带有怀旧色彩，常指回味并谈论过去的经历，语气温情、偏社交化。这里不比较 recall 作动词表示“召回（产品）”或“撤回”的义项。