Apprendre is the most common way to say “to learn” in French. But, just like in English, there are several other options and nuances.

As you continue your French learning journey, you’ll discover that sometimes, “apprendre” might not fully capture the specific kind of learning you want to convey.

Let’s explore 9 different ways to say “to learn” in French, helping you express yourself with more precision and fluency!

The standard 'to learn' – apprendre

The standard "to learn" – apprendre

Apprendre is the most common and versatile verb for "to learn" in French. It's an irregular -re verb, so its conjugation might require some memorization.

Here's how apprendre is conjugated in the present tense: J'apprends (I learn)Tu apprends (You learn - informal singular)Il/Elle/On apprend (He/She/One learns)Nous apprenons (We learn)Vous apprenez (You learn - formal singular/plural)Ils/Elles apprennent (They learn)

When you learn to do something, apprendre is followed by the preposition à and then an infinitive verb. For example, apprendre à nager (to learn to swim).

To learn a subject, a language, or a skill directly, apprendre takes a direct object. For instance, apprendre le français (to learn French) or apprendre une leçon (to learn a lesson).

A very common idiom is "apprendre par cœur", which means "to learn by heart" or "to memorize". For example, J'apprends mes leçons par cœur (I learn my lessons by heart).

Interestingly, apprendre can also mean "to teach" when used with an indirect object (someone) and a direct object (something). The structure is apprendre quelque chose à quelqu'un. For example, J'apprends le français à mes élèves (I teach French to my students).

In the passé composé, apprendre uses the auxiliary verb avoir and its past participle is appris. So, "I learned" would be J'ai appris.

Apprendre is suitable for almost all contexts, from casual conversations to formal academic settings. It's your go-to verb for anything related to acquiring knowledge or skills.

💡 * J'apprends le français. (I am learning French.)

• Il apprend à jouer du piano. (He is learning to play the piano.)
• Nous avons appris la nouvelle hier. (We learned the news yesterday.)
• Les enfants apprennent leurs tables de multiplication par cœur. (The children are learning their multiplication tables by heart.)
• Elle apprend à ses étudiants la grammaire. (She teaches grammar to her students.)

To study, to delve into a subject – étudier

When you want to express the act of studying or delving into a subject in French, the verb étudier is your go-to.

Étudier directly translates to “to study” and is used in a broad range of academic and intellectual contexts. It implies a focused effort on learning or examining something.

This verb is highly versatile. You can étudier une matière (a subject) like le français (French) or la biologie (biology), or you can étudier à l'université (at university) or à la bibliothèque (at the library).

While apprendre means 'to learn,' étudier specifically refers to the process of studying. You étudies pour apprendre (you study to learn). Étudier emphasizes the activity itself, often with books, notes, or research.

It's a regular -ER verb, making its conjugation straightforward. Common phrases include étudier ses leçons (to study one's lessons) or étudier un dossier (to examine a file/case), highlighting its use beyond just schoolwork.

Étudier can also imply a deeper examination or analysis, such as étudier un problème (to study/analyze a problem) or étudier un plan (to examine a plan), showing its application in professional or analytical contexts.

💡 *J'étudie le français tous les jours. (I study French every day.)
*Elle étudie à la bibliothèque pour ses examens. (She studies at the library for her exams.)
*Nous étudions l'histoire de France ce semestre. (We are studying French history this semester.)
*Il étudie le marché avant d'investir. (He studies the market before investing.)
*Ils ont étudié la proposition attentivement. (They studied the proposal carefully.)

1. To educate oneself, to become knowledgeable – s'instruire

Another essential French verb for learners is s'instruire, which directly translates to 'to educate oneself' or 'to become knowledgeable'.

This reflexive verb emphasizes the act of actively acquiring knowledge or becoming informed through reading, studying, or general inquiry.

As a reflexive verb, s'instruire always uses a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous, se) that agrees with the subject. This highlights the self-directed nature of the action.

While apprendre means 'to learn' (a skill, a fact), s'instruire often implies a broader process of intellectual development or gaining general knowledge rather than mastering a specific subject.

You'll use s'instruire when talking about someone making an effort to get educated, to broaden their mind, or to stay informed about current affairs.

Conjugating s'instruire follows the pattern of regular -re verbs for 'instruire', combined with the appropriate reflexive pronouns (e.g., je m'instruis, tu t'instruis, il/elle s'instruit, nous nous instruisons, vous vous instruisez, ils/elles s'instruisent).

Think of s'instruire as actively engaging in the pursuit of knowledge for personal growth and enlightenment.

💡 * Il aime s'instruire en lisant des livres d'histoire. (He likes to educate himself by reading history books.)

• Nous nous instruisons sur les cultures du monde. (We are becoming knowledgeable about world cultures.)
• Pour bien voter, il faut s'instruire sur les candidats. (To vote well, one must inform oneself about the candidates.)
• Elle s'instruit en permanence. (She is constantly educating herself.)
• Ils s'instruisent sur les nouvelles technologies. (They are becoming knowledgeable about new technologies.)

To master, to become proficient in – maîtriser

The verb maîtriser translates directly to 'to master' or 'to become proficient in' in English. It signifies a deep understanding, high skill level, or effective control over something.

Most frequently, maîtriser is used to express proficiency in a skill, a subject, a language, or a technique. For example, one maîtrise a foreign language or a complex software program.

Beyond skills, maîtriser can also mean 'to control' or 'to get a grip on' a situation, an emotion, or even a physical force. This emphasizes the ability to manage or dominate something effectively.

💡 * Je maîtrise bien le français. (I am very proficient in French.)

• Il a maîtrisé la situation avec calme. (He controlled the situation calmly.)
• Elle ne maîtrise pas encore son trac. (She doesn't control her stage fright yet.)
• Nous maîtrisons les techniques de programmation avancées. (We master advanced programming techniques.)

To acquire knowledge, to gain understanding – acquérir des connaissances

To express the idea of 'acquiring knowledge' or 'gaining understanding' in French, the most common and direct phrase is acquérir des connaissances.

This phrase directly translates to 'to acquire knowledge' and encompasses the process of learning, studying, and becoming informed about a subject or field.

The verb at the heart of this phrase is acquérir, meaning 'to acquire,' 'to gain,' or 'to obtain.' It's an irregular verb, so its conjugation requires attention.

The noun connaissances is always plural and feminine in this context, signifying 'knowledge' or 'understanding.' It's important to use the plural form, not connaissance (which means 'acquaintance').

You'll frequently encounter acquérir des connaissances in academic, professional, or formal contexts when discussing education, research, personal development, or intellectual growth.

This phrase emphasizes the active effort involved in gaining intellectual understanding. It's a versatile expression for any situation where learning or gaining expertise is the goal.

💡 * Il est essentiel d'acquérir des connaissances pour progresser dans sa carrière. (It is essential to acquire knowledge to progress in one's career.)

• Elle a acquis de vastes connaissances en histoire médiévale. (She acquired vast knowledge in medieval history.)
• Comment peut-on acquérir plus de connaissances dans ce domaine spécifique ? (How can one acquire more knowledge in this specific field?)
• Les étudiants s'efforcent d'acquérir des connaissances pratiques. (Students strive to acquire practical knowledge.)

To take lessons, to be instructed – prendre des leçons

In French, to express the idea of “to take lessons” or “to be instructed”, the most common and direct phrase is prendre des leçons.

Literally translating to “to take some lessons”, this phrase is used when someone receives formal instruction in a specific subject or skill. It implies a structured learning environment with a teacher or instructor.

While apprendre means “to learn” in a general sense, prendre des leçons specifically refers to the act of attending classes or receiving formal teaching. You might apprendre a language by yourself, but you prenez des leçons de français with a tutor.

This expression is versatile and can be applied to various fields, such as music, sports, driving, or academic subjects. For example, one can prendre des leçons de piano (take piano lessons) or prendre des leçons de conduite (take driving lessons).

💡 *Elle prend des leçons de danse chaque semaine. (She takes dance lessons every week.)
*Mon fils prend des leçons de guitare depuis deux ans. (My son has been taking guitar lessons for two years.)
*Nous allons prendre des leçons de cuisine française. (We are going to take French cooking lessons.)
*Tu devrais prendre des leçons pour améliorer ton accent. (You should take lessons to improve your accent.)

To practice, to train oneself – s'exercer

The verb s'exercer translates to 'to practice' or 'to train oneself' in English. It's used to describe the act of repeatedly performing an activity to improve a skill or maintain physical fitness.

S'exercer is a reflexive verb, which means it always requires a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous, se) that matches the subject. This structure emphasizes that the subject is performing the action on themselves.

When specifying what one is practicing or training for, s'exercer is commonly followed by the preposition à. This can be followed by an infinitive verb (e.g., s'exercer à chanter) or a noun (e.g., s'exercer au piano).

💡 * Je m'exerce tous les jours à jouer de la guitare. (I practice playing the guitar every day.)

• Elle s'exerce pour le marathon depuis des mois. (She has been training for the marathon for months.)
• Nous nous exerçons à parler français avec nos amis. (We practice speaking French with our friends.)
• Les athlètes s'exercent au saut en hauteur chaque après-midi. (The athletes practice high jump every afternoon.)

To assimilate, to absorb new information – assimiler

The verb assimiler directly translates to 'to assimilate' or 'to absorb' in English, making it quite intuitive for learners. It's an important verb for discussing learning and adaptation.

It is frequently used when discussing the process of understanding and internalizing new knowledge, facts, or concepts. Think of it as truly making new information your own, rather than just memorizing it.

Beyond just information, assimiler also describes the act of adapting to a new culture, environment, or social group, integrating oneself fully into it.

Unlike simply 'learning' (apprendre), assimiler implies a deeper processing and integration, where the new element becomes a part of the whole, a more profound understanding or adaptation.

💡 * Il est difficile d'assimiler autant d'informations en si peu de temps. (It's difficult to assimilate so much information in such little time.)

• Les enfants assimilent les nouvelles langues avec une facilité étonnante. (Children assimilate new languages with astonishing ease.)
• Elle a dû assimiler de nouvelles méthodes de travail. (She had to assimilate new work methods.)
• Le jeune immigrant s'est efforcé d'assimiler la culture du pays d'accueil. (The young immigrant strove to assimilate the culture of the host country.)

1. To find out, to discover new things – découvrir

The French verb découvrir is a versatile and essential verb that primarily translates to "to discover" or "to find out." It belongs to the third group of irregular -ir verbs, similar to ouvrir (to open) and offrir (to offer), meaning its conjugation pattern is unique and should be memorized.

One of the main uses of découvrir is when you encounter something new for the first time, whether it's a place, a concept, an object, or a person. It implies an act of exploration or revelation, often suggesting a sense of wonder or novelty. Think of it as uncovering something previously unknown.

Beyond physical discovery, découvrir is also frequently used to mean "to find out" or "to learn" information, facts, or secrets. In this context, it refers to the act of acquiring knowledge or understanding something that was previously hidden or unknown to you. For instance, découvrir la vérité means "to find out the truth."

The past participle of découvrir is découvert. This form is crucial for constructing compound tenses like the passé composé, where it combines with the auxiliary verb avoir. For example, J'ai découvert means "I discovered" or "I found out." Remember to agree the past participle in certain cases, though typically not with avoir unless there's a preceding direct object.

It's important to distinguish découvrir from trouver (to find). While trouver often implies locating something that was lost or already known to exist, découvrir suggests finding something new or unexpected. For example, you trouve your keys, but you découvre a new species.

💡 * J'ai découvert un nouveau café dans mon quartier. (I discovered a new coffee shop in my neighborhood.)

• Nous allons découvrir la culture locale pendant nos vacances. (We are going to discover the local culture during our vacation.)
• Elle a découvert qu'il lui mentait. (She found out that he was lying to her.)
• Les archéologues ont découvert des ruines anciennes. (The archaeologists discovered ancient ruins.)
• Il est important de découvrir de nouvelles passions. (It is important to discover new passions.)

Are there other ways to say 'to learn' in French?

Are there other ways to say 'to learn' in French?

Our article focused on the most common and versatile verbs for 'to learn' in French, such as apprendre and étudier. However, the French language, like any other, is rich with nuances, and there are indeed other expressions and verbs that convey the idea of acquiring knowledge or skills.

If you're interested in exploring more specific or informal ways to express 'to learn,' you could try an online search for 'comment dire apprendre en argot' (how to say learn in slang) or 'synonymes de apprendre français' to find more nuanced terms.

As with any new vocabulary, when you discover these alternative expressions, always make sure to check their definitions and observe how native speakers use them in context before incorporating them into your own speech. Nuance is key!

Immersion is your best teacher! Pay close attention as you engage with French media — books, films, podcasts, conversations — you'll naturally pick up on different verbs and phrases used to describe the act of learning in various situations.

For a comprehensive list of synonyms and related expressions, the WordReference entry for apprendre is an excellent starting point. It often provides usage examples and shades of meaning.

I hope this article has helped clarify how to say 'to learn' in French and sparked your curiosity for deeper exploration. To conclude, here’s a fitting quote from the French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau: "L'homme qui a le plus vécu n'est pas celui qui a compté le plus d'années, mais celui qui a le plus senti la vie." (The man who has lived the most is not he who has counted the most years, but he who has most felt life.) While not directly about learning, it speaks to the depth of experience and knowledge acquisition.