Polyglot Dictionary

lernen

/ˈlɛʁnən/

verb A1

der (masc.) die (fem.) das (neut.)

Underline = a spelling pattern that usually signals that gender.

V Register Neutral Era Current Frequency Core Domain General Tone Neutral

Forms

present (3rd sg.)
lernt
past
lernte
perfect
hat gelernt

Meaning

  1. to learn, to study

    A false friend for "to study" in the sense of attending university — that's studieren; lernen is the general activity of acquiring knowledge or skill.

V Category Action Concreteness Abstract Agency Voluntary Duration Durative Transitivity Transitive

Similar words

studieren

lernen is the general word for learning or studying (school, a skill); studieren is specifically for university-level study of a subject.

Similar in other languages

English

study

study is the English word for the same thing — both mean "to learn, to study."

Practice

1 Fill the gap: Ich ___ seit einem Jahr Deutsch.

2 What does lernen mean?

3 Fill the gap: Gestern habe ich Vokabeln ___.

See also

verbcore-vocabulary

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