ESEN
Which one to use?Beginnerverbverb
TeachvsLearn
"Teach" is to pass knowledge to others; "learn" is to acquire knowledge yourself.
Side-by-side comparison
Teach
verb"Teach" is to transmit knowledge or skills to another person. The subject is the one who knows and shares. "My father taught me to cook" = he passed the skill on to me.
She has been teaching English for over twenty years.
My father taught me how to cook when I was young.
He teaches mathematics at the local university.
Learn
verb"Learn" is to acquire knowledge or skills through study, experience, or instruction. The subject receives and absorbs. "I learned to cook" = I now have that skill.
She is learning Japanese in her free time.
Children learn faster when they are having fun.
I learned a lot from that experience.
Common mistake
The most classic error: "My teacher learned me English" is wrong, the teacher does not learn, they teach. Correct: "My teacher taught me English." The subject of "teach" is the one who already knows and transmits; the subject of "learn" is the one who does not yet know and acquires. Swapping them reverses the roles completely.
Trick to remember it
- •The one who ALREADY KNOWS and passes it to another = teach (past: taught).
- •The one who DOES NOT YET KNOW and receives it = learn.
- •"I taught him" and "he learned from me" describe the same event from opposite perspectives, they can never share the subject for the same action.
Quick rule
- •Teach = to instruct others (you have the knowledge).
- •Learn = to acquire knowledge (you receive it).
- •Irregular past: teach → taught.
Did you know?
In Old English, LEARN meant BOTH to learn AND to teach, hence the historical error. Even Shakespeare used "learn" to mean "teach": "I'll learn you" meant "I will teach you." That usage is completely obsolete and considered wrong today. The irregular past TAUGHT follows the same pattern as BUY → BOUGHT and BRING → BROUGHT. In British English, LEARNT is the preferred past form ("she learnt to drive"); in American English LEARNED is preferred ("she learned to drive"). Both are correct, but each variety has its preference.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
She _____ s English at a primary school. She's been doing it for ten years.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
He's trying to _____ Spanish before his trip to Mexico next summer.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
JobvsWork
"Job" is a specific position or employment; "work" is the general activity of working.
StudyvsLearn
"Study" is the activity of reviewing and preparing; "learn" is the result of having acquired knowledge or a skill.
AbovevsOver
"Above" is at a higher level without contact; "over" implies covering, movement, or crossing.
ActuallyvsReally
"Actually" corrects or contrasts an assumption; "really" intensifies or confirms.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy