Following an answer in a recent quiz I took, an apparently acceptable way to say I remember Quebec is "Je me rappelle le Québec."
The rules of how and why this is acceptable are not explained in this lesson, and it doesn't conform to what I've learnt elsewhere. For example, the definite article is left out when expressing like/dislike of cities: "J'aime Paris et Londres."
When and why is it acceptable to use the definite article (rather than de) immediately following "se rappeler"?
From the lesson «se rappeler» and «se rappeler de» are interchangeable except when using stress pronouns, in which case «se rappeler de» is always required. On the other hand, it is always «se souvenir de», never «se souvenir».
Hence, without «de» the sentence «Je me rappelle le premier cadeau que tu m'as fait.» is correct, as is «Je me rappelle du premier cadeau que tu m'as fait» with «de».
In this case even if Quebec didn't behave grammatically as a country, it would still take the definite article, as states/provinces/regions do. Hence «se rappeler le Quebec» or «se rappeler du Quebec» are both correct, as is «se souvenir du Quebec»
Note that Le Québec behaves like a country, even though it's a province: Using-en-with-feminine-countries-and-aux-with-masculine-countries-to-say-in-or-to-prepositions
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