Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense learns, present participle learning, past tense learned, past participle learntlanguage note: American English uses the form learned as the past tense and past participle. British English uses either learned or learnt.
1. verb
If you learn something, you obtain knowledge or a skill through studying or training.
Their children were going to learn English. [VERB noun]
He is learning to play the piano. [VERB to-infinitive]
...learning how to use new computer systems. [VERB wh]
Experienced teachers help you learn quickly. [VERB]
[Also V + about]
Synonyms: master, grasp, acquire, pick up More Synonyms of learn
learninguncountable noun
...a bilingual approach to the learning of English. [+ of]
2. verb
If you learn of something, you find out about it.
It was only after his death that she learned of his affair with Betty. [VERB + of]
Later I learnt that the house was to be sold. [VERB that]
...the Admiral, who, on learning who I was, wanted to meet me. [VERB wh]
Synonyms: discover, hear, understand, gain knowledge More Synonyms of learn
3. verb
If people learnto behave or react in a particular way, they gradually start to behave in that way as a result of a change in attitudes.
You have to learn to face your problem. [VERB to-infinitive]
We are learning how to confront death instead of avoiding its reality. [V wh-to-inf]
4. verb
If you learnfrom an unpleasant experience, you change the way you behave so that it does not happen again or so that, if it happens again, you can deal with it better.
I am convinced that he has learned from his mistakes. [VERB + from]
The company failed to learn any lessons from this experience. [VERB noun + from]
5. verb
If you learn something such as a poem or a role in a play, you study or repeat the words so that you can remember them.
He learned this song as an inmate at a Texas prison. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: memorize, commit to memory, learn by heart, learn by rote More Synonyms of learn
6. See also learned, learning
7. to learn the ropes
learn in British English
(lɜːn)
verbWord forms: 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. (transitive)
to commit to memory
3. (transitive)
to gain by experience, example, etc
4. (intr; often foll by of or about)
to become informed; know
5. not standard
to teach
Derived forms
learnable (ˈlearnable)
adjective
Word origin
Old English leornian; related to Old High German lirnen
learn in American English
(lɜrn)
verb transitiveWord forms: learned or Chiefly British learnt, ˈlearning
1.
to get knowledge of (a subject) or skill in (an art, trade, etc.) by study, experience, instruction, etc.
2.
to come to know
to learn what happened
3.
to come to know how
to learn to swim
4.
to fix in the mind; memorize
5.
to acquire as a habit or attitude
to learn humility
6.
to teach
now dialectal or otherwise nonstandard
verb intransitive
7.
to gain knowledge or skill
8.
to be informed; hear (of or about)
SYNONYMY NOTE: learn, as considered here, implies a finding out of something without conscious effort[I learned of their marriage from a friend]; ascertain implies a finding out with certainty as by careful inquiry, experimentation, or research[I ascertained the firm's credit rating]; determine stresses intention to establish the facts exactly, often so as to settle somethingin doubt [to determine the exact denotation of a word]; discover implies a finding out, by chance, exploration, etc., of something already existingor known to others [to discover a plot, a star, etc.]; unearth, in its figurative sense, implies a bringing to light, as by diligent search, ofsomething that has been concealed, lost, or forgotten [to unearth old documents, a secret, etc.]
Derived forms
learnable (ˈlearnable)
adjective
learner (ˈlearner)
noun
Word origin
ME lernen, to learn, teach < OE leornian (akin to Ger lernen) < WGmc *liznōn (akin to Goth laisjan, to teach) < IE base *leis-, track, furrow > L lira, furrow
More idioms containing
learn
learn something parrot fashion
learn the ropes
Examples of 'learn' in a sentence
learn
She said that there were important lessons to be learnt from the death of her husband.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
You have to learn the hard way.
The Sun (2017)
Two weeks to learn something like that?
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
What have you learnt from experiences with past managers that could be of value to me?
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Me and my son had to learn the hard way.
The Sun (2016)
That is something we can learn from in our batting and bowling.
The Sun (2017)
What did she learn from the experience?
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
They let you learn that way.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
In addition to having to learn to walk again, she suffered from posttraumatic stress syndrome.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
In 1996 he suffered a stroke and had to learn to speak again.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The army veteran may have to learn to walk again.
The Sun (2015)
Some of them just take the risk and learn along the way.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
We learned by experience that we have to keep all three in mind.
Davey, Ray Rev. & Cole, John A Channel of Peace (1993)
Youngsters with learning difficulties gain experience of the hotel trade.
The Sun (2015)
Your logical side impresses at work and learning something new goes smoothly.
The Sun (2006)
Do we have to learn that lesson again?
The Sun (2015)
Others see it as a way of learning about the past.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
They need to experience risk and learn how to deal with it when they get older.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
You need to put your time in to learning something properly before overseeing others.
The Sun (2014)
Perhaps she can learn from his experience and laidback manner.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
You are doing something like learning to dance and you are spending hours together.
The Sun (2013)
It remains one of the most entertaining ways you can learn a little bit of history.
The Sun (2013)
Managers learn from experience how to cope with routine problems.
Charles A. D'Ambrosio & Stewart D. Hodges & Richard Brealey & Stewart Myers Principles of Corporate Finance (1991)
This means learning to cook again.
The Sun (2007)
Who can afford learning for learning 's sake?
Christianity Today (2000)
When did teaching to targets take over from learning for learning 's sake?
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The more you learn, the better you become at learning.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
We simply have to learn it all again, to think bigger.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
I was very sorry indeed to learn of his death.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
I learnt of her death in prison.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
There is much to be gained by learning to enjoy the cuisine of cultures other than one's own.
Randolph, Theron G. & Moss, Ralph W. (contributor) An Alternative Approach to Allergies (1990)
In facing my own death I learnt about what really matters in life.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
In other languages
learn
British English: learn /lɜːn/ VERB
When you learn, you obtain knowledge or a skill through studying or training.
Their children are going to learn English.
You need to learn how to use a computer.
American English: learn
Arabic: يَتَعَلَّمُ
Brazilian Portuguese: aprender
Chinese: 学习
Croatian: učiti
Czech: učit se
Danish: lære tilegne sig
Dutch: leren
European Spanish: aprender
Finnish: oppia
French: apprendre
German: lernen
Greek: μαθαίνω
Italian: apprendere
Japanese: 学ぶ
Korean: 배우다
Norwegian: lære
Polish: nauczyć się
European Portuguese: aprender
Romanian: a învăța
Russian: изучать
Latin American Spanish: aprender
Swedish: lära (sig)
Thai: เรียน
Turkish: öğrenmek
Ukrainian: вчитися
Vietnamese: học
Chinese translation of 'learn'
learn
(ləːn)
Word forms:ptpplearnedlearnt
vt
(= study)[skill]学(學) (xué)
⇒ Children learn foreign languages very easily.孩子学外语非常容易。 (Háizi xué wàiyǔ fēicháng róngyì.)
[poem, song]背 (bèi)
⇒ We have to learn the whole poem by heart.我们得把整首诗背下来。 (Wǒmen děi bǎ zhěng shǒu shī bèi xiàlái.)
(= find out)[news, fact]得知 (dézhī)
⇒ I remember when I learned the terrible news.我还记得什么时候得知这条坏消息的。 (Wǒ hái jìde shénme shíhòu dézhī zhè tiáo huài xiāoxi de.)
vi
学(學) (xué)
⇒ Experienced teachers help you learn quickly.经验丰富的老师帮你学得快。 (Jīngyàn fēngfù de lǎoshī bāng nǐ xué de kuài.)
to learn about sth (= study) 学(學)到某物 (xuédào mǒuwù)
to learn to do sth/how to do sth (by studying) 学(學)做某事/怎样(樣)做某事 (xuézuò mǒushì/zěnyàng zuò mǒushì)
⇒ He is learning to play the piano.他在学弹钢琴。 (Tā zài xué tán gāngqín.)