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Learn, teach, or study
Learn is gaining knowledge, teach is passing it to someone, and study is the time you spend reading and reviewing.
Quick rule
Does the knowledge come to you? Learn. Do you give it to someone, who follows the verb? Teach. Is it time spent reviewing, with no promise? Study.
To gain knowledge or a skill, or to find out about something: learn to swim, learn that she moved.
To help someone learn by giving lessons or showing them how: teach me, teach the kids.
To spend time reading, reviewing, or taking classes to learn something. It does not say you succeeded.
How to choose
| Question | learn | teach | study |
|---|---|---|---|
| Does someone who knows pass it to another person (___ me English)? | No | Yes | No |
| Can it mean finding out something (I ___ that she moved)? | Yes | No | No |
| Is it reading or reviewing for an exam (___ for a test)? | SometimesSometimes | No | Yes |
Why it trips people up
Study is the effort, learn is what you gain, and teach is passing it on. They get mixed up because studying should lead to learning, and teaching only works when someone learns.
How each one works
Learn
Gaining a skill: learn + to
My nephew learned to read before he started school.
Finding out: learn + that
We just learned that the concert moved to Sunday.
Memorizing a text
She learned her lines in one afternoon.
Learning with no teacher
A toddler learns to smile back at about two months.
Teach
Teach + person + how to
My aunt taught me how to knit.
Giving lessons as a job
He teaches history at a high school in Lima.
Teach + person + to + verb
Our coach taught the team to pass faster.
What an experience leaves you with
That trip taught me to pack light.
Study
Study + for + a test
Turn the music down, please. I need to study for a quiz.
A degree or subject
My brother is studying law at the national university.
Looking closely to understand
We studied the trail map before the hike.
What comes next
learn plus to plus verb
The twins are learning to swim this summer.
learn plus about or that
I learned about the plan on Monday.
teach plus person plus to plus verb
She taught her dog to roll over.
teach plus subject
He teaches biology at the community college.
study plus for plus exam
Lucía and I studied for the chemistry final together.
study plus subject
She studies marine biology in Valparaíso.
Set phrases
Learn
- learn a lesson
- to understand something after a bad experience
Teach
- teach a class
- to give a lesson to a group of students
Study
- study abroad
- to take classes in another country
- study group
- a few students who prepare for a test together
Almost the same
I study English every night.
The time you put in.
I am learning English.
You are making progress.
I teach English to my cousins.
You are the one who knows and passes it on.
Mr. Díaz taught me to drive.
Mr. Díaz gave you the skill.
I learned to drive from Mr. Díaz.
You are the one who received it.
In a conversation
- A:
How is your first week going?
- B:
Good! My boss is teaching me how to use the software.
- A:
Are you studying for the certification too?
- B:
Yes, I study at night. I have learned so much in two weeks.
- A:
Soon you will be teaching the next new hire!
Common mistakes
Wrong: She teached us how to sew.
Right: She taught us how to sew.
Teach is irregular: its past is taught. Adding -ed to it is a common slip when the verb is treated as regular.
Wrong: The instructor learned us the safety rules.
Right: The instructor taught us the safety rules.
The person who gains the knowledge is the subject of learn; the person who gives it is the subject of teach.
Memory trick
Follow the knowledge. It goes from you to someone else: teach (teach me). It comes to you: learn. The effort in between, with books or notes, is study (study for a test).
It depends
- Learned or learnt
- Both forms exist. Learned works everywhere, and Cambridge also lists learnt for the UK.
- Study as a noun
- A study is also a piece of research or a room for reading and writing at home, so context tells you which meaning is used.
FAQ
What is the difference between study and learn?
Study is the effort of reviewing or taking classes. Learn is the result: you know or can do something new. You can study hard and still learn little.
What is the difference between teach and learn?
Teach means giving knowledge or skills to someone. Learn means receiving it. The person with the knowledge teaches; the one gaining it learns.