Learn and teach describe the two sides of a lesson. The student learns, and the teacher teaches. The direction is everything: knowledge moves into the learner and out of the teacher.
The patterns are different too. You learn something, or learn to do something. You teach someone something, or teach someone to do something. Teaching takes a person as the first object.
This page gives the direction test, eight examples and 15 questions. Every answer says who receives the knowledge and who gives it.
What each word means
learn
learn (verb): to gain knowledge or a skill. Forms: learn, learned or learnt, learning. "I am learning to cook."
teach
teach (verb): to give knowledge or a skill to someone. Forms: teach, taught, taught. "She teaches history."
The rule
Learn is the student side
- Learn + something: learn English, learn the rules, learn a poem.
- Learn + to do something: learn to swim, learn to drive.
- Learn from someone or something: "I learned a lot from my teacher."
- Learn that means to discover: "I learned that the shop was closed."
Teach is the teacher side
- Teach + subject: teach maths, teach history, teach English.
- Teach + person + something: "She taught me the guitar."
- Teach + person + to do something: "He taught us to cook."
- Teach a class or a group: "She teaches a class on Mondays."
The receive and give test
- Who ends up with the new knowledge? If it is the subject, use learn.
- Who passes the knowledge on? If it is the subject, use teach.
- Does a person come straight after the verb? That is the teaching pattern: teach me, teach the class.
- Can you replace the verb with study? Use learn. Can you replace it with instruct? Use teach.
Related forms and fixed phrases
- A learner learns, and a teacher teaches. Both describe jobs in the classroom.
- Learn by heart means to memorise: "We learned the poem by heart."
- Teach someone a lesson means to punish them or show them the truth.
- You cannot teach an old dog new tricks is a proverb about fixed habits.
How to remember
The trick: Learn means you get it; teach means you give it. The teacher passes the knowledge, and the learner picks it up.
Examples
- I want to learn Italian.The speaker receives the knowledge, so learn is correct.
- She teaches history at a secondary school.The teacher gives the subject to students.
- He learned to drive last summer.He gained the skill himself.
- Can you teach me to cook this dish?Teach takes a person as the object: teach me.
- We learn from our mistakes.The knowledge comes into the learners.
- The teacher taught us a new song.The pattern teach + person + thing is used.
- I learned a lot from that job.Learn from describes the source of the knowledge.
- She teaches young children.The object is the group of students.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: She learns English to students. Right: She teaches English to students.
- The subject gives the knowledge, so the verb is teach.
- Wrong: The teacher learned us grammar. Right: The teacher taught us grammar.
- The teacher gives the knowledge, and the past of teach is taught.
- Wrong: Can you learn me to swim? Right: Can you teach me to swim?
- The request asks someone to give a skill, so teach is correct.
- Wrong: I teach a lot from my colleagues. Right: I learn a lot from my colleagues.
- The subject receives the knowledge, so learn is correct.
- Wrong: He learned the class how to draw. Right: He taught the class how to draw.
- The class receives the skill, and the subject gives it, so taught is needed.
Practice drill
Answer all 15 questions. Each answer is marked at once, and the rule is explained under the question.
I want to ___ Italian.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. learn The speaker receives the knowledge, so learn is correct.
She ___ history at a secondary school.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. teaches The teacher gives the subject to students, so teaches is correct.
He ___ to drive last summer.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. learned He gained the skill himself, and the past of learn is learned.
Can you ___ me to cook this dish?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. teach Teach takes the person as its object: teach me.
We ___ from our mistakes.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. learn The knowledge comes into the learners, so learn is correct.
The teacher ___ us a new song.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. taught The pattern teach + person + thing needs the past taught.
I ___ a lot from that job.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. learned Learn from describes receiving knowledge from a source.
She ___ young children.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. teaches The object is the group of students, so teaches is correct.
The students ___ the poem by heart.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. learned The students memorised the poem, so learned is correct.
My uncle ___ me how to fish.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. taught The uncle gives the skill, and the past of teach is taught.
Where did you ___ to play chess?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. learn The question asks where the person gained the skill, so learn is correct.
She ___ English to adults in the evening.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. teaches The subject gives the lessons, so teaches is correct.
I ___ that the meeting was cancelled.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. learned Learn that means to discover news, so learned is correct.
He ___ the class how to use the software.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. taught The class receives the skill, so the past taught is needed.
You never stop ___ new things.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. learning The subject keeps gaining knowledge, so the -ing form of learn is correct.
Questions learners ask
What is the past form of teach?
The past and past participle are both taught: "She taught me last year. She has taught for ten years." Taught rhymes with thought. The past of learn is learned or learnt, depending on the variety.
Can learn mean teach in any dialect?
In some non-standard dialects, learn someone is used to mean teach someone. Standard British and American English keep the two verbs apart. Follow the standard pattern in exams and formal writing.
What is the difference between learn and study?
Study is the activity: reading, practising and reviewing. Learn is the result: the knowledge stays in your memory. You can study all night and learn little, or learn a lot with a short, focused session.
More confusing words
Stationary vs stationery
Stationary with -ary means not moving. Stationery with -ery means the paper and pens you write with.
Complement vs compliment
Complement with an e means to complete or go well with something. Compliment with an i is the praise you give or receive.
Sight, site or cite
Sight is about seeing, site is a place or a website, and cite means to quote a source.
Browse all the confusing word pairs or take the free A1 to C2 level test to find your starting point.