Word
learn
US/ˈɫɝn/
UK/lˈɜːn/
Irregular verb
Forms
Infinitive
learn
Past
learned / learnt
Past participle
learned / learnt
In Japanese
to know; to be aware (of); to be conscious (of)
彼は牛の飼育の仕方を知った。
He learned how to raise cattle. Tatoeba
to be taught; to learn; to take lessons in
Japanese from JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences from Tatoeba, CC BY 2.0 FR. All sources.
Definitions
01to acquire knowledge or skill
A1 · Beginner
v. to get new knowledge or a new skill by studying or practicing.
v. to acquire knowledge of or skill in something through study, experience, or being taught.
“She is learning to speak French because she wants to move to Paris.”
“Adult students often find it more challenging to learn a second language than children do, though they often possess superior analytical strategies.”
Usage
Often followed by an infinitive with 'to' or a prepositional phrase with 'about'.
Pitfall
I am learning my brother how to swim.
I am teaching my brother how to swim.
In modern English, 'learn' is for the student and 'teach' is for the instructor. Do not use 'learn' to mean 'give knowledge to someone else'.
02to find out information
A2 · Elementary
v. to hear or discover new information about something.
v. to become informed of or to find out a particular fact or piece of news.
“We were surprised to learn that the shop was closing down.”
“The investigators were shocked to learn that the primary witness had fled the country only hours before the trial was set to commence.”
Usage
Commonly followed by a 'that' clause or the preposition 'of'.
03to improve from experience
B1 · Intermediate
v. to change your behavior because of a mistake or a bad experience.
v. to gain knowledge or wisdom from a specific experience, typically a negative one, so as to avoid future errors.
“He made a big mistake, but he learned his lesson and won't do it again.”
“The company failed to learn from its previous marketing blunders, repeating the same strategic errors in the new campaign.”
Synonyms
04to memorize
B1 · Intermediate
v. to fix something in your memory so you can repeat it perfectly.
v. to commit something to memory; to be able to recite or perform something from heart.
“The actors had only two days to learn their lines before the first rehearsal.”
“Before the recital, the young pianist had to learn the entire concerto by heart, as the conductor forbade the use of sheet music on stage.”
Usage
Often used in the phrase 'learn by heart'.
05a piece of information or insight
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Academic · Informal
n. a specific thing that you have found out or understood, especially at work.
n. a specific insight or piece of knowledge gained from a project or experience. Often used in professional or corporate environments.
“One of our key learns from the project was that we need better communication.”
“The post-mortem meeting focused on the key learns from the product launch, specifically regarding the unexpected shift in consumer demographics.”
Teaching tip
This noun use is common in business 'corporate speak' but is often criticized by traditionalists who prefer 'lessons' or 'findings'.
Confusables
Study is the process of trying to understand a subject; learn is the moment you successfully acquire the knowledge or skill.
RememberStudy is the work; learn is the result.
Learn is the act of receiving knowledge, while teach is the act of giving it.
RememberStudents learn; teachers teach.
Real-World Examples
“Krupa Padhy uncovers how we really learn foreign languages – in a dual challenge involving both Portuguese and Mandarin.” Etymology
From Middle English lernen (“to learn", also, "to teach"”), from Old English leornian (“to learn", rarely also, "to teach”), from Proto-West Germanic liʀnōn, from Proto-Germanic lizaną, from Proto-Indo-European (le-)lóys-e, stative from the root leys- (“track, furrow, trace, trail”). Cognate with Old Frisian lernia, lerna (“to learn”), Middle Low German lernen (“to learn", also, "to teach”), Middle Dutch leernen (“to learn", also, "to teach”) (whence Dutch lernen (“to study scripture”)), German lernen (“to learn”). See also lore and lear.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
Related words
Idioms
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A1 MoversIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.2.0–3.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 1.0–1.50–23TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.120–224EikenEikenTest in Practical English ProficiencyThe English proficiency test from the Eiken Foundation of Japan, widely taken by Japanese students. Grades run from 5 to 1, with Pre-1 and Pre-2 between them.Grade 3
- Frequency
- Very common
- Level
- A1 · BeginnerOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/learn
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0