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I'm trying to say `I remember his ex-girlfriend's name`.

> 私は彼の元彼女の名前を **覚えます** 。
>
> 私は彼の元彼女の名前を **覚えています** 。

As I understand, the last sentence is in present progressive tense, i.e. an
action that is ongoing. But I don't think `I'm remembering his ex-girlfriend's
name` makes sense.

So in this case, does the first sentence mean `I will remember his ex-
girlfriend's name`? And does the last sentence mean `I remember his ex-
girlfriend's name`?
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2016-01-15T07:27:11.870
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2020-01-14T05:25:32.670
2020-06-17T08:18:27.500
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question
verbs
Present progressive tense of 覚える
In Japanese, the て+いる form does not necessarily represent present-progressive
(as such a concept doesn't really exist in Japanese in the first place); in
many cases, it describes a resultant or enduring state. In this case, the verb
is "to remember/learn," so using the て+いる form implies a "state" of having
already learned something (and remembering it). The translation of the first
sentence would probably be something like "I will learn his ex-girlfriend's
name," while the second one could be translated as "I remember his ex-
girlfriend's name" (this is what you wanted in this case).

There are definitely cases where て+いる can be translated as present-
progressive, but rather than being the specified purpose or meaning of the
form, it's more like that just happens to be the realization of that
particular verb in that form. For a more in-depth look at what is really
happening with this form, I've found this page helpful:
<http://homepage3.nifty.com/park/aspect.htm>
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2016-01-15T10:42:43.480
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answer
覚える means _to memorize something_ , and 覚えている means that someone remembers
something.  
  
Your first sentence means _I will memorize his ex-girlfriend's name._  
If you want to say ''I will memorize and will not forget her name'', you can
also say 覚えておく／覚えておきます.  
  

覚えます is also used when you say the feature or the nature of someone (e.g.
彼は人の名前をすぐ覚えます。), however, your first sentence is too limited, so nobody thinks
you're speak about your own nature.  
  

Your second, the last sentence is natural as a translation for _I remember his
ex-girlfriend's name._ It's not the progressive tense. ''Verb + ている'' is not
necessarily progressive tense, can be resultant state. Some verb are used for
both progressive and resultant, others are used for only progressive, the
others are used for only resultant.  
  
We think 勉強している is to be studying at a glance, but how is it in a sentence
_そんな簡単なことは、ずっと前に勉強している_? Its 勉強している is not present progressive tense but
rather present perfect tence in English.  
  
By the way, people who are living...live in western Japan (more west than
Okayama, Tottori, and Shikoku area) distinguish these two _verb + ている_ by
using different form like 書きよる (be writing) and 書いとる (have written or be
written).  
  
The form of the verb can be different between Japanese and English.  
For example, 住んでいる is not to be living but just to live, 着ている is to wear
cloths, or to be wearing cloths on in some context.
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2016-01-15T11:27:53.770
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2016-01-15T20:29:48.047
2016-01-15T20:29:48.047
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answer