Difference between the verbs ‘помнить’, ‘вспомнить’ and ‘запомнить’

In Russian, the verbs ‘помнить’, ‘вспомнить’, and ‘запомнить’ are related to the concept of remembering or recalling, but they are used in different contexts and convey distinct meanings. Here’s a breakdown of their differences:

• Помнить (imperf.)
  Meaning: ‘Помнить’ generally translates to ‘to remember’ or ‘to know’ in English. It is used for ongoing or habitual memories, things you remember or know in general.
  Example:
  Я помню, как мы познакомились. = I remember how we met.
• Вспоминать (imperf.) – вспомнить (perf.):
  Meaning: ‘Вспомнить’ translates to ‘to recall’ or ‘to remember’ (suddenly or intentionally) in English. It refers to the act of bringing something to mind, often in response to a specific trigger or effort.
  Examples:
  Я часто вспоминаю наш отпуск, когда вижу самолёты. = I often think about our vacation, when I see airplanes.
  Я забыл свой пароль, но быстро вспомнил. = I forgot my password, but quickly remembered it.
• Запоминать (imperf.) – запомнить (perf.):
  Meaning: ‘Запомнить’ translates to ‘to memorize’ or ‘to learn by heart’ in English. It refers to the intentional act of committing something to memory.
  Examples:
  Я плохо запоминаю имена, но хорошо запоминаю лица. = I’m bad at remembering names, but I’m good at remembering faces.
  Я запомнил его номер телефона. = I memorized his phone number.

In summary, ‘помнить’ is used for general, ongoing memories, ‘вспомнить’ is used for recalling something specific, and ‘запомнить’ is used for intentionally memorizing information.