learn
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learn
(lûrn)v. learned also learnt (lûrnt), learn·ing, learns
v.tr.
1.
a. To gain knowledge of or skill in through study, instruction, or experience: learned how to sail; learned the new computer program; learn to speak Hindi.
b. To become aware or informed of; find out: learned the truth about him; learned that it was best not to argue. See Synonyms at discover.
2. To fix in the mind or memory; memorize: learned the speech in a few hours.
3. Nonstandard To cause to acquire knowledge; teach.
4. Obsolete To give information to.
v.intr.
To gain knowledge, information, comprehension, or skill: learns quickly; learned about computers; learned of the job through friends.
learn′a·ble adj.
learn′er n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
learn
(lɜːn)vb, learns, learning, learned (lɜːnd) or learnt
1. (when tr, may take a clause as object) to gain knowledge of (something) or acquire skill in (some art or practice)
2. (tr) to commit to memory
3. (tr) to gain by experience, example, etc
4. (intr; often foll by of or about) to become informed; know
5. not standard to teach
[Old English leornian; related to Old High German lirnen]
ˈlearnable adj
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
learn
(lɜrn)v. learned (lɜrnd) or learnt, learn•ing. v.t.
1. to acquire knowledge of or skill in by study, instruction, or experience: to learn a new language.
2. to become informed of or acquainted with; ascertain: to learn the truth.
3. to memorize: He learned the poem in ten minutes.
4. to gain (a habit, mannerism, etc.) by experience, exposure to example, or the like; acquire: She learned patience from her father.
5. (of a device or machine, esp. a computer) to perform an analogue of human learning using artificial intelligence.
6. Nonstandard. to instruct in; teach.
v.i. 7. to acquire knowledge or skill: to learn rapidly.
8. to become informed (often fol. by of or about): to learn of an accident.
[before 900; Middle English lernen, Old English leornian to learn, read, ponder, c. Old Saxon līnōn, Old High German lernēn; akin to Gothic laisjan to teach, and to lore1]
learn′a•ble, adj.
learn′er, n.
syn: learn, discover, ascertain, detect imply adding to one's store of knowledge or information. To learn is to come to know by chance, or by study or other application: to learn of a friend's death; to learn to ski. To discover is to find out something previously unseen or unknown; it suggests that the new information is surprising to the learner: I discovered that they were selling their house. To ascertain is to find out and verify information through inquiry or analysis: to ascertain the truth about the incident. To detect is to become aware of something obscure, secret, or concealed: to detect a flaw in reasoning.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
learn
1. knowledge and skills
When you learn something, you obtain knowledge or a skill as a result of studying or training.
The past tense and -ed participle of learn can be either learned or learnt. However, learnt is rarely used in American English.
We first learned to ski at les Rousses.
He had never learnt to read and write.
2. 'teach'
Don't say that you 'learn someone something' or 'learn someone how to do something.' The word you use is teach.
My sister taught me how to read.
See teach
3. learning from experience
You can use learn to say that someone becomes wiser or becomes better at doing something as the result of an experience.
Industry and commerce have learned a lot in the last few years.
You say that someone learns something from an experience.
They had learned a lot from their earlier mistakes.
Be Careful!
Don't use any preposition except from in a sentence like this.
4. information
Learn can also be used to say that someone receives some information. After learn, you use of and a noun phrase, or you use a that-clause.
He had learned of his father's death in Australia.
She learned that her grandmother had been a nurse.
Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012
learn
Past participle: learned/learnt
Gerund: learning
| Imperative |
|---|
| learn |
| learn |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Verb | 1. |  learn - gain knowledge or skills; "She learned dancing from her sister"; "I learned Sanskrit"; "Children acquire language at an amazing rate"relearn - learn something again, as after having forgotten or neglected it; "After the accident, he could not walk for months and had to relearn how to walk down stairs" catch up - learn belatedly; find out about something after it happened; "I'm trying to catch up with the latest developments in molecular biology" assimilate, ingest, absorb, take in - take up mentally; "he absorbed the knowledge or beliefs of his tribe" hit the books, study - learn by reading books; "He is studying geology in his room"; "I have an exam next week; I must hit the books now" |
| 2. | learn - get to know or become aware of, usually accidentally; "I learned that she has two grown-up children"; "I see that you have been promoted" get the goods - discover some bad or hidden information about; "She got the goods on her co-worker after reading his e-mail" wise up - get wise to; "They wised up to it" ascertain - learn or discover with certainty | |
| 3. |  learn - commit to memory; learn by heart; "Have you memorized your lines for the play yet?"understudy, alternate - be an understudy or alternate for a role hit the books, study - learn by reading books; "He is studying geology in his room"; "I have an exam next week; I must hit the books now" | |
| 4. | learn - be a student of a certain subject; "She is reading for the bar exam" audit - attend academic courses without getting credit | |
| 5. | learn - impart skills or knowledge to; "I taught them French"; "He instructed me in building a boat" train, educate, prepare, develop - create by training and teaching; "The old master is training world-class violinists"; "we develop the leaders for the future" indoctrinate - teach doctrines to; teach uncritically; "The Moonies indoctrinate their disciples" drill - teach by repetition spoonfeed - teach without challenging the students; "This professor spoonfeeds his students" induct - introduce or initiate; "The young geisha was inducted into the ways of her profession" mentor - serve as a teacher or trusted counselor; "The famous professor mentored him during his years in graduate school"; "She is a fine lecturer but she doesn't like mentoring" tutor - be a tutor to someone; give individual instruction; "She tutored me in Spanish" unteach - cause to disbelieve; teach someone the contrary of what he or she had learned earlier unteach - cause to unlearn; "teach somebody to unlearn old habits or methods" ground - instruct someone in the fundamentals of a subject lecture, talk - deliver a lecture or talk; "She will talk at Rutgers next week"; "Did you ever lecture at Harvard?" inform - impart knowledge of some fact, state or affairs, or event to; "I informed him of his rights" coach, train - teach and supervise (someone); act as a trainer or coach (to), as in sports; "He is training our Olympic team"; "She is coaching the crew" condition - establish a conditioned response | |
| 6. | learn - find out, learn, or determine with certainty, usually by making an inquiry or other effort; "I want to see whether she speaks French"; "See whether it works"; "find out if he speaks Russian"; "Check whether the train leaves on time" insure, see to it, ensure, ascertain, check, assure, control, see - be careful or certain to do something; make certain of something; "He verified that the valves were closed"; "See that the curtains are closed"; "control the quality of the product" ascertain, determine, find out, find - establish after a calculation, investigation, experiment, survey, or study; "find the product of two numbers"; "The physicist who found the elusive particle won the Nobel Prize" test - determine the presence or properties of (a substance) |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
learn
verb
1. master, grasp, acquire, pick up, be taught, take in, attain, become able, familiarize yourself with Their children were going to learn English.
2. discover, hear, understand, gain knowledge, find out about, become aware, discern, ascertain, come to know, suss (out) (slang) It was only after his death that she learned of his affair.
3. memorize, commit to memory, learn by heart, learn by rote, get (something) word-perfect, learn parrot-fashion, get off pat, con (archaic) He learned this song as an inmate in a Texas prison.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
learn
verbThe American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
leer
يَتَعَلَّميَتَعَلَّمُيَعْلَم، يَعْرِف
učit sezjistitdovědět seučit
lærestudereerfarefinde ud af
lerni
arenemaomandamaõppima
oppiasaadatietääopetellaopiskella
ללמוד
सीखना
učiti
megtanultanul
belajar
komast aîlæra
学ぶ
배우다
erudicijamokslasmokslingasmokytaspatogus mokytis
mācītiesuzzināt
aflaînvăţa
učiť sa
izvedetiučiti se
lära (sig)lära sig
เรียน
سیکھنا
học
learn
[lɜːn] (learned or learnt (pt, pp))A. VT
1. (by study, practice, etc) [+ language, words, skill] → aprender; [+ instrument] → aprender a tocar
you can learn a lot by listening and thinking → se puede aprender mucho escuchando y pensando
I learnt a lot from her → aprendí mucho de ella
you must learn patience → tienes que aprender a tener paciencia
to learn (how) to do sth → aprender a hacer algo
to learn sth by heart → aprender(se) algo de memoria
to learn one's lesson → aprender la lección, escarmentar
see also line 1 A4
see also rope A
you can learn a lot by listening and thinking → se puede aprender mucho escuchando y pensando
I learnt a lot from her → aprendí mucho de ella
you must learn patience → tienes que aprender a tener paciencia
to learn (how) to do sth → aprender a hacer algo
to learn sth by heart → aprender(se) algo de memoria
to learn one's lesson → aprender la lección, escarmentar
see also line 1 A4
see also rope A
B. VI
1. (by study, practice, etc) → aprender
it's never too late to learn → nunca es tarde para aprender
he'll learn! → ¡un día aprenderá!, ¡ya aprenderá!
we are learning about the Romans → estamos estudiando los romanos
to learn from experience → aprender por experiencia
to learn from one's mistakes → aprender de los errores (cometidos)
it's never too late to learn → nunca es tarde para aprender
he'll learn! → ¡un día aprenderá!, ¡ya aprenderá!
we are learning about the Romans → estamos estudiando los romanos
to learn from experience → aprender por experiencia
to learn from one's mistakes → aprender de los errores (cometidos)
2. (= find out) to learn of or about sth → enterarse de algo
learn off VT + ADV → aprender de memoria
learn up VT + ADV → esforzarse por aprender, empollar
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
learn
[ˈlɜːrn] [learned or learnt] (pt, pp) vt
(= study) [+ skill, subject] → apprendre; [+ poem, song] → apprendre
She's learning Japanese → Elle apprend le japonais.
to learn sth by heart → apprendre qch par cœur
We have to learn the whole poem by heart → Nous devons apprendre tout le poème par cœur.
to learn to do sth → apprendre à faire qch
I'm learning to ski → J'apprends à skier.
He learned to conceal his views → Il apprit à dissimuler ses opinions.
to learn how to do sth → apprendre à faire qch
She's learning Japanese → Elle apprend le japonais.
to learn sth by heart → apprendre qch par cœur
We have to learn the whole poem by heart → Nous devons apprendre tout le poème par cœur.
to learn to do sth → apprendre à faire qch
I'm learning to ski → J'apprends à skier.
He learned to conceal his views → Il apprit à dissimuler ses opinions.
to learn how to do sth → apprendre à faire qch
vi
(through study) → apprendre
to learn about sth (gen) → s'informer sur qch; (at school) → étudier qch
In history we're learning about the Russian revolution → En histoire, nous étudions la révolution russe.
What did you learn about at school today?
BUT Qu'est-ce que tu as appris de beau à l'école aujourd'hui?.
to learn about sth (gen) → s'informer sur qch; (at school) → étudier qch
In history we're learning about the Russian revolution → En histoire, nous étudions la révolution russe.
What did you learn about at school today?
BUT Qu'est-ce que tu as appris de beau à l'école aujourd'hui?.
(through experience) you'll learn! → tu apprendras!
to learn from one's mistakes → tirer les leçons de ses erreurs
He has learned from his mistakes → Il a tiré les leçons de ses erreurs.
to learn from one's mistakes → tirer les leçons de ses erreurs
He has learned from his mistakes → Il a tiré les leçons de ses erreurs.
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
learn
pret, ptp <learnt (Brit) or learned>vt
(= gain knowledge, skill etc) → lernen; (= memorize) poem etc → auswendig lernen; where did you learn that habit? → wo hast du dir das angewöhnt?; I learned (how) to swim → ich habe schwimmen gelernt
(= be informed) → erfahren
vi
(= gain knowledge etc) → lernen; I can’t play the piano, but I’m hoping to learn → ich kann nicht Klavier spielen, aber ich hoffe, es zu lernen; he’ll never learn! → er lernt es nie!; some people never learn! → manche lernens nie!; to learn from experience → aus der Erfahrung or durch Erfahrung lernen
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
learn
[lɜːn] (learned or learnt (pt, pp))1. vt (study) → imparare; (hear) → (venire a) sapere
to learn (how) to do sth → imparare a fare qc
to learn that ... → apprendere che..., venire a sapere che...
we were sorry to learn that it was closing down → la notizia della chiusura ci ha fatto dispiacere
I think he's learnt his lesson (fig) → penso che gli sia servito di lezione
to learn (how) to do sth → imparare a fare qc
to learn that ... → apprendere che..., venire a sapere che...
we were sorry to learn that it was closing down → la notizia della chiusura ci ha fatto dispiacere
I think he's learnt his lesson (fig) → penso che gli sia servito di lezione
2. vi to learn about sth (study) → studiare qc, imparare qc; (hear) → sentire qc, apprendere qc
I've learnt from experience not to trust him → l'esperienza mi ha insegnato a non fidarmi di lui
you learn from your mistakes → sbagliando s'impara
you'll learn! → un giorno capirai!
I've learnt from experience not to trust him → l'esperienza mi ha insegnato a non fidarmi di lui
you learn from your mistakes → sbagliando s'impara
you'll learn! → un giorno capirai!
learn off vt + adv → imparare a memoria
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
learn
(ləːn) – past tense, past participles learned, ~learnt – verb1. to get to know. It was then that I learned that she was dead.
2. to gain knowledge or skill (in). A child is always learning; to learn French; She is learning (how) to swim.
ˈlearned (-nid) adjective having or showing great learning. a learned professor.
ˈlearner noun a person who is in process of learning. Be patient – I'm only a learner; (also adjective) a learner driver.
ˈlearning noun knowledge which has been gained by learning. The professor was a man of great learning.
learner-friendly adjective that is easy or simple for use in learning. This textbook is learner-friendly.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
learn
→ يَتَعَلَّمُ učit se lære lernen μαθαίνω aprender oppia apprendre učiti apprendere 学ぶ 배우다 leren lære nauczyć się aprender изучать lära (sig) เรียน öğrenmek học 学习Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
learn
v. aprender; [to have knowledge of] saber; [to learn about something new] tener noticias de, enterarse de.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
learn
vt, vi aprender (a); to learn to read..aprender a leerEnglish-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.