The word 记得 is formed by combining two characters whose individual meanings merge to create a new, abstract concept. The first character, 记 (jì), originates from the idea of recording speech or thoughts, as seen in its semantic component related to speech (讠). The second, 得 (dé), carries a core meaning of "to obtain" or "to achieve". When joined, the compound literally suggests "to record and obtain", which conceptually transforms into the sense of "having successfully retained something in memory", that is, to remember.