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Verb conjugation

apprendre

to learn; to teach

Usage

One of the most common French verbs, meaning both to learn and to teach, depending on context and construction: j'apprends le français (I'm learning French) vs. il m'apprend le français (he's teaching me French). It conjugates like prendre (j'apprends, nous apprenons, ils apprennent).

Examples
  • J'apprends le français depuis deux ans.I've been learning French for two years.
  • Mon père m'a appris à nager.My father taught me to swim.
  • Nous avons appris la nouvelle hier soir.We learned the news last night.
Common mistake

The dual meaning (learn vs. teach) trips learners up: "apprendre quelque chose à quelqu'un" means to teach it to them, while "apprendre quelque chose" alone means to learn it — the person taught is marked with à, not treated as a direct object.

In real life
  • song ApprendreA song by veteran French singer-songwriter Yves Duteil about learning to read, write, and count.

Simple tenses

Present

jeapprends
tuapprends
il/elleapprend
nousapprenons
vousapprenez
ils/ellesapprennent

Imperfect

jeapprenais
tuapprenais
il/elleapprenait
nousapprenions
vousappreniez
ils/ellesapprenaient

Past historic (passé simple)

jeappris
tuappris
il/elleapprit
nousapprîmes
vousapprîtes
ils/ellesapprirent

Future

jeapprendrai
tuapprendras
il/elleapprendra
nousapprendrons
vousapprendrez
ils/ellesapprendront

Conditional

jeapprendrais
tuapprendrais
il/elleapprendrait
nousapprendrions
vousapprendriez
ils/ellesapprendraient

Subjunctive

jeapprenne
tuapprennes
il/elleapprenne
nousapprenions
vousappreniez
ils/ellesapprennent

Subjunctive (imperfect)

jeapprisse
tuapprisses
il/elleapprît
nousapprissions
vousapprissiez
ils/ellesapprissent

Imperative

tuapprends
nousapprenons
vousapprenez

Compound tenses

Passé composé

jeai appris
tuas appris
il/ellea appris
nousavons appris
vousavez appris
ils/ellesont appris

Plus-que-parfait

jeavais appris
tuavais appris
il/elleavait appris
nousavions appris
vousaviez appris
ils/ellesavaient appris

Passé antérieur

jeeus appris
tueus appris
il/elleeut appris
nouseûmes appris
vouseûtes appris
ils/elleseurent appris

Futur antérieur

jeaurai appris
tuauras appris
il/elleaura appris
nousaurons appris
vousaurez appris
ils/ellesauront appris

Conditionnel passé

jeaurais appris
tuaurais appris
il/elleaurait appris
nousaurions appris
vousauriez appris
ils/ellesauraient appris

Subjonctif passé

jeaie appris
tuaies appris
il/elleait appris
nousayons appris
vousayez appris
ils/ellesaient appris

Subjonctif plus-que-parfait

jeeusse appris
tueusses appris
il/elleeût appris
nouseussions appris
vouseussiez appris
ils/elleseussent appris

Impératif passé

tuaie appris
nousayons appris
vousayez appris

Other

Present participle

apprenant

Past participle

appris

Infinitive

apprendre

Want to practice? Try a conjugation exercise.

Frequently asked questions

What does "apprendre" mean?

"apprendre" means "to learn; to teach".

How do you conjugate "apprendre" in the present tense?

The present of "apprendre" is: je apprends, tu apprends, il/elle apprend, nous apprenons, vous apprenez, ils/elles apprennent.

What is the Passé composé of "apprendre"?

The passé composé of "apprendre" is: je ai appris, tu as appris, il/elle a appris, nous avons appris, vous avez appris, ils/elles ont appris.

What is the Imperative of "apprendre"?

The imperative of "apprendre" is: tu apprends, nous apprenons, vous apprenez.