Learn vs. Teach
“Learn” and “teach” describe opposite sides of instruction. A person learns by gaining knowledge or skill; a person teaches by giving instruction or helping another person learn.
Use “learn” for acquiring knowledge or skill and “teach” for giving instruction.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| receive/acquire knowledge or skill | learn | Use for the learner’s side of the process. |
| give instruction or enable learning | teach | Use for the instructor’s side of the process. |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Is the subject acquiring knowledge or skill?
If yes: Use “learn.”
If no: If the subject is giving instruction, use “teach.”
Examples
I learned Spanish at school.
The subject acquired the skill.
She teaches Spanish at school.
The subject gives instruction.
Can you teach me how to use this tool?
“Teach” takes the instructor role.
Further guidance
Core difference
The learner gains knowledge or skill; the teacher provides instruction or helps another person acquire it.
Fast Test
Ask who receives the knowledge. If the subject receives/acquires it, use “learn”; if the subject gives instruction, use “teach.”
Usage Boundary
Some constructions differ by dialect and context, so keep the core participant-role distinction separate from narrower complement-pattern questions.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- Learn — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · Verb forms learned/learnt and boundary with learned adjective
- teach — Cambridge English Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · Teach + person + to-infinitive for learned actions and teach + subject/object for subject matter