# apprendre / enseigner / apprendre à



## charlie2

I am sure there must be a simple answer to that, but I have never grasped the difference.
I know that "enseigner" is to teach. Is it right also to say: 
"J'apprends qqchose a qqn." for " I teach someone something."
Does "apprendre" also mean "learn" ?

*Moderator note: *multiple threads merged to create this one


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## Benjy

je lui ai appris à lire for example.. i dont really know what the difference between the two verbs is in all honesty, the appropriate one to use in a givin situation is something i just learnt over time =[ try searching the forum, im sure we've had threads on this before

after careful winnowing of the forum.....

clicky


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## fetchezlavache

enseigner can only work one way : knowledge goes from teacher to pupil

apprendre words both ways, knowledge goes from pupil to teacher, and also from teacher to pupil.


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## tchev

enseigner = to teach, but is generally more related to education (school, university...)
j'enseigne les maths à l'université = I teach mathematics at the university
je vais t'enseigner les maths = I'll teach you mathematics (from a to z, long class hours ahead)

apprendre = to learn
j'apprends les maths à l'université = I learn mathematics at the university

apprendre à quelqu'un = to teach someone
je vais t'apprendre à faire tes lacets = I'll teach you how to lace your shoes (no need for long courses here)


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## charlie2

Et donc,
J'ai appris a faire mes lacets quand j'etais bebe.
Ma mere m'a appris a faire les lacets. (m = a moi)
Mon professeur m'enseigne le francais. (m = me )
Tout ca, c'est correct?
Another question:
[...]


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## emma42

Bonsoir tout le monde.

J'entends que "apprendre" veut dire "to learn" dans la plupart de cas, mais est-ce qu'on peut l'utiliser comme "to teach" quelquefois?

Est-ce que quelqu'un peut m'expliquer dans quelles situations on utiliserait "apprendre" pour "teach"?  Quelques exemples s'il vous plait?

Merci d'avance.


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## anangelaway

Dans ce cas-là Emma, ce serait 'faire apprendre', voici une définition :


> Emploi factitif. [Avec un obj. premier indiquant la matière enseignée et un obj. second. indiquant le bénéficiaire de l'enseign.] *Faire apprendre*, enseigner quelque chose à quelqu'un, donner un enseignement. Apprendre qqc. à qqn.



Source - TLFi
 
Voici des exemples trouvés :
_- Grandgousier décide de lui *faire apprendre* les lettres latines par un théologien réputé, Thubal Holoferne._
_- _Comment *faire apprendre* des connaissances abstraites.
 
J'ai trouvé également ce site qui peut t'interésser : là


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## emma42

Merci anangelaway.  Angel, j'ai sauvé (?) ce site pour l'étudier plus tard.  Je suis trop fatiguée!  Merci.


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## vince

I recall hearing instances where "apprendre" by itself means to teach
How about "je vais t'apprendre à nager" or "Je vais t'enseigner à nager"? My suspicion was that "apprendre quelque chose à quelqu'un" meant to teach someone a skill whereas enseigner is for teaching a subject matter (i.e. school)? or does one of them always work in place of the other?


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## linguist786

One instance I myself use "apprendre" to mean "to teach" is when I say:

"On m'a appris que.." - "I was taught that.."


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## Gil

Exemples tirés du Petit Robert:


> Le professeur, le maître apprend aux élèves les verbes irréguliers anglais.
> Apprendre le latin à un enfant à force de leçons, en l'abrutissant, de force.
> Apprendre à lire à un enfant. On lui apprend à jouer au bridge.


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## emma42

Thank you, mes amis.  And thanks, vince, for "enregistrer".


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## meltem

I've always wondered why while speaking english some French and Dutch people (and maybe some other nationalities I don't know) use "to learn" in the sense of "to teach" like "he learnt me" because it sounds very funny to me. I think this should be the answer.


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## uman

I have heard native English speakers do that, but it's not considered "correct English" and many people look down on it as "low-class speech".


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## utomow

Hi all,

I just learn french for about 6 months and get very enthusiast.

I want to know what is the difference between the verbes:
"apprendre à and enseigner"

When do we use apprendre à and when do we use enseigner?

Many thanks in advance.

Rgds,
Jo


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## SwissPete

Bienvenue au forum, utomow.

In short:

Apprendre - to learn.
Enseigner - to teach.


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## utomow

Hi Pete,

thanks for the prompt response, I actually know "apprendre" alone means to learn. But when I check on my English-French dictionary the word "teach", it shows up with 2 translations: one is "enseigner" and the other "apprendre à". Checking with word reference also gives these two results.

Rgds,
Jo


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## poliphili

Here's one distinction: On apprend à quelqu'un à faire quelque chose. On enseigne à quelqu'un une doctrine (la grammaire, l'histoire...). 
Ex. Jane apprend à Jack le foxtrot.
Jane enseigne à Jack l'anglais.

Je peux t'apprendre à faire du vélo, mais je ne t'enseigne pas à faire du vélo.


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## utomow

Hi Phil,

please correct me if I am wrong in summarizing your reply:

So, apprendre à is used when one teaches a skill (how to drive, to solder, to saw etc.) to someone and enseigner is used when one teaches a lesson (math, physic, biology etc.) to someone.

Thanks in advance.

Rgds,
Jo


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## pointvirgule

utomow said:


> So, apprendre à is used when one teaches a skill (how to drive, to solder, to saw etc.) to someone and enseigner is used when one teaches a lesson (math, physic, biology etc.) to someone.


That's a good way to look at it, although in real life the distinction is not always that clear cut. For instance, _elle m'a appris le français_ is attested by the Larousse dictionary.


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## poliphili

I agree, it isn't all that clear cut. But "apprendre à" is broader (skills and fields of knowledge). It's "enseigner" that I would never use for skills, only fields of knowledge.

jk


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## utomow

Thanks a lot guys,

At least I know the difference although it is not that "clear cut". But at least I have some guidance and hopefully as time goes by I could pick up the senses of these verbs.

Merci beaucoup!
Jo


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## Mauricet

_Apprendre_ (+ noun) is broader (skills ans fields of knowledge) : _J'apprends la cuisine, les mathématiques et le code de la route_ (I learn) ; _Elle m'apprend la cuisine, les mathématiques ..._ (she teaches me).

_Apprendre à_ (+ verb) is for skills only : _J'apprends à nager et à conduire_ (I learn how to swim and drive) ; _Elle m'apprend à cuisiner_ (She teaches me how to cook).


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## iddoc

As a beginning french language student, could someone tell what would be the best way to translate the phrase, "I am trying to learn French better."

Could one say, "J'essaye de mieux appprendre français" or  "J'essaye m'enseigner français"?  Or some other way?


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## florence a

J'essaie de faire des progrès en français.


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## Guill

J'essaie d'améliorer mon français.


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## DeeleyM

I understand these 2 verbs can mean the same thing; to teach....is that right? Are there specific instances where each is to be used, or can they be interchanged ramdomly? 

Thankyou
D


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## monsieurp_

Hi

They don't mean the same thing.

J'apprends le Français - I learn French

J'enseigne le Français - I teach French


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## misterk

_Apprendre_ can mean "to teach", in this construction:  _apprendre quelque chose à quelqu'un_ (to teach something to someone).

If you look up _enseigner_ in the WR dictionary, the first few discussion threads deal with the _apprendre/enseigner_ distinction.  See if they help.


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## DeeleyM

Thankyou for the suggestion. I've also looked at Laura Lawless' explanation, and I must say I've become even more confused!  (I failed her test miserably). But I WILL!!, very soon, get to understand when to use the different verbes (for 'to teach').

I'm wondering if, in the meantime, I accidentally got mixed up and said/wrote...for e.g.

'je vais _*éduquer*_ mon fils à skier', or 'Chantal *enseigner* la guitare à mon ami'...would my attempts be understood by French speakers??? ...just interested.

Thankyou
D


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