Vocabulary
A1–B1
7 min read
Updated 13 June 2026
Quick answer: Learn = acquire knowledge or a skill — you are the learner, the receiver. Teach = give knowledge or a skill to someone else — you are the teacher, the giver. The most common mistake is saying "She learned me English" instead of "She taught me English."
Comparison Table
| Word | Part of Speech | Core Meaning | Who does the action? | Example |
|---|
| learn | verb | to acquire knowledge, a skill, or information | the student / receiver | I learned Spanish last year. |
| teach | verb | to give knowledge or a skill to another person | the teacher / giver | She taught me Spanish. |
When to Use Learn
Use learn when the subject is the person acquiring knowledge, a skill, or new information. The learner is on the receiving end of the process. You can learn something on your own or from someone else, but the focus is always on the person gaining knowledge.
Common patterns: learn + something / learn + how to do something / learn + that-clause
I learned to drive when I was eighteen.
She is learning Japanese at university.
We learned that the exam had been cancelled.
He learned how to cook from his grandmother.
Children learn language very quickly.
When to Use Teach
Use teach when the subject is the person giving knowledge or instruction to someone else. The teacher is always the one doing the action of teaching — they transfer knowledge to another person (the student or learner).
Common patterns: teach + someone + something / teach + someone + how to do something / teach + subject
My father taught me how to ride a bike.
She teaches English at a secondary school.
The course taught us the basics of programming.
He taught himself to play the guitar.
Life teaches you important lessons.
Irregular Forms
| Verb | Present | Past Simple | Past Participle |
|---|
| learn | learn / learns | learned or learnt* | learned or learnt* |
| teach | teach / teaches | taught | taught |
*Learnt is common in British English; learned is standard in American English and also widely used in British English. Both are correct. Teach is always irregular: teach → taught → taught.
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1 — Using "learn" instead of "teach"
✗ My teacher learned me English for three years.
✓ My teacher taught me English for three years.
Mistake 2 — Switching subject and object
✗ I want to learn my children good manners.
✓ I want to teach my children good manners.
Mistake 3 — Wrong verb after "I will"
✗ I will learn you how to use this software.
✓ I will teach you how to use this software.
Memory Tip
The direction test: Ask yourself — is the knowledge going in or going out? If knowledge is going in (you are receiving it), use learn. If knowledge is going out (you are giving it to someone), use teach.
Another trick: TEACH has a T — like a Teacher who Transfers knowledge. LEARN has an L — like a Learner who Listens and receives.
Mini-Quiz: Fill in the Blank
Choose learn or teach
1. My older sister _____ me to swim when I was five years old.
Answer: taught
2. I am trying to _____ as many new words as possible this month.
Answer: learn
3. She _____ geography at the local grammar school.
Answer: teaches
4. He _____ himself how to code by watching online videos.
Answer: taught
5. Children _____ languages faster than adults do.
Answer: learn
10 Example Sentences
- I learned to read when I was four years old. (learn)
- Mr. Harris teaches mathematics at a secondary school. (teach)
- She learned French by living in Paris for a year. (learn)
- My grandfather taught me how to fish. (teach)
- We are learning about the environment in science class. (learn)
- The workshop taught us several useful presentation skills. (teach)
- Have you ever learned a musical instrument? (learn)
- She taught herself to paint using YouTube tutorials. (teach)
- I learned that patience is the most important quality in a good leader. (learn)
- Experience teaches us things that no book ever can. (teach)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between learn and teach?
Learn and teach describe opposite roles in the same process. When you learn, you are the student — knowledge comes into you. When you teach, you are the teacher — you send knowledge out to someone else. A useful test: can you replace the verb with "receive knowledge"? If yes, use learn. Can you replace it with "give knowledge to someone"? If yes, use teach. Example: "She learned Spanish" (she received Spanish knowledge). "She taught me Spanish" (she gave Spanish knowledge to me).
Can I say "She learned me English"?
No. "She learned me English" is incorrect in standard English. The correct sentence is "She taught me English." The confusion arises because in some languages (including some dialects of older English and several European languages), the equivalent of "learn" can be used to mean "teach." In modern standard English, learn is always used for the receiver of knowledge, and teach is always used for the giver. "She learned me English" sounds very non-standard and will be perceived as a grammatical error.
Is "learnt" or "learned" correct?
Both are correct, but they are used in different contexts. "Learnt" is the traditional British English past tense and past participle: "I learnt to drive last year." "Learned" (two syllables: learn-ed) is also a British English adjective meaning knowledgeable: "She is a very learned professor." "Learned" (one syllable) as a past tense is standard in American English and increasingly used in British English too. In formal or academic writing, either form is acceptable; just be consistent. "Taught" (the past tense of teach) has only one correct form.
What is the past tense of teach?
The past tense of teach is taught (irregular). Present: teach / teaches. Past simple: taught. Past participle: taught. Examples: "He teaches English" (present). "She taught me how to cook" (past simple). "I have been taught many things" (past participle in passive). Never say "teached" — it does not exist in standard English. The irregular form taught must be memorised.
Can you teach yourself something?
Yes. "Teach yourself" (or "teach oneself") is a common and correct construction that means to learn something without a formal teacher, through your own effort. Examples: "He taught himself to code." "She taught herself Spanish using apps." "I taught myself to play piano." Notice that even here, teach is the verb — you are still the one giving yourself knowledge. This is different from "I learned Spanish" (focus on the result) vs "I taught myself Spanish" (focus on the self-directed process).
What is the difference between "learn how to" and "teach how to"?
"Learn how to" means to acquire the ability to do something: "I learned how to swim." "Teach how to" (or "teach someone how to") means to instruct another person in an ability: "She taught me how to swim." The structure is symmetrical — the same skill appears in both sentences, but the subject changes. "Learn how to" focuses on the student's acquisition; "teach how to" focuses on the teacher's instruction. Both constructions are followed by a base verb (infinitive without to is also acceptable after teach): "She taught me to swim / how to swim."
Can "learn" ever have two objects like "teach"?
No. Teach can take two objects: "She taught me French" (teach + person + subject). Learn cannot follow this pattern. You cannot say "She learned me French." Learn is intransitive in the sense that it only has one object — the thing being learned: "I learned French." If you want to express that someone was the agent of your learning, use a prepositional phrase: "I learned French from her." This is a key structural difference between the two verbs.
Is it "learn English" or "study English"?
Both "learn English" and "study English" are correct, but they have a slightly different emphasis. "Learn English" focuses on the result — acquiring the language. "Study English" focuses on the process — the act of formal study, revision, or academic work. You might say "I am learning English" (general acquisition, including informal practice) or "I am studying English" (formal coursework, exam preparation). "Teach English" is always correct for the teacher's role; there is no "study English" equivalent for teachers.
What prepositions follow "learn" and "teach"?
Learn is commonly followed by: "learn from" (I learned from my mistakes), "learn about" (we learned about the Roman Empire), "learn of" (formal: I learned of his resignation), "learn by" (learn by doing). Teach is commonly followed by: "teach at" (she teaches at a university), "teach in" (he taught in Japan for two years), "teach to" (she taught English to children). The most important pattern for teach is the double-object structure without a preposition: "She taught me English" (not "She taught English to me" — though this is also possible).
How do I remember when to use learn vs teach?
Use the direction test: knowledge goes IN to a learner and OUT from a teacher. Ask: "Am I the receiver or the giver?" If you are the receiver (student), use learn. If you are the giver (teacher), use teach. A sentence test: if you can rephrase as "I received this knowledge," use learn. If you can rephrase as "I gave this knowledge to someone," use teach. Practice: "She learned to drive" = she received the skill. "The instructor taught her to drive" = the instructor gave her the skill.