Introduction
Understanding how to use aprender with nouns and infinitives is essential for building clear, natural Portuguese sentences. This article explains the differences between aprender + infinitive and aprender + noun, shows common conjugations, and gives plenty of Brazilian Portuguese examples so English-speaking learners can use aprender confidently in conversation and writing.
- What does aprender mean?
- Aprender + infinitive: learning to do something
- Aprender + noun: learning facts or acquiring knowledge
- Combined forms: aprender + noun + a + infinitive
- Reflexive and pronominal uses
- Common verbs that pair with aprender
- Cultural and usage notes
- Common mistakes and how to avoid them
- Quick reference: patterns and examples
- Conclusion
What does aprender mean?
Aprender is a verb that primarily means to learn. In Portuguese, it can be followed by an infinitive verb, a noun, or both, and each pattern has a different nuance. Knowing these patterns helps you express learning actions, acquired skills, and the process of study accurately.
Basic conjugation overview
Before diving into structures, here are a few common conjugations of aprender to recognize in examples:
eu aprendo
tu aprendes (Brazil: rarely used in speech)
você/ele/ela aprende
nós aprendemos
vocês/eles/elas aprendem
Aprender + infinitive: learning to do something
When aprender is followed by an infinitive, it expresses the action of learning how to do something. This is the most frequent and straightforward use for expressing new skills or actions.
Structure and meaning
Structure: aprender + infinitive verb (base form).
Meaning: to learn how to perform a specific action.
Examples in Brazilian Portuguese:
Eu aprendi a nadar quando tinha seis anos.
Ela está aprendendo a cozinhar pratos italianos.
Nós queremos aprender a tocar violão.
Notes:
– Use the infinitive without any preposition directly after aprender when describing the action learned. However, in Brazilian Portuguese it is common to include the preposition a before the infinitive: aprender a + infinitive. Both forms are grammatical, but aprender a + infinitive is more natural and frequent.
Negative and question forms
To make a negative sentence, place não before the verb:
Eu não aprendi a dirigir ainda.
To ask a question, invert the subject and verb or use a question word:
Você aprendeu a nadar?
Quando ela vai aprender a falar inglês?
Aprender + noun: learning facts or acquiring knowledge
When aprender is used with a noun, it often means acquiring knowledge or memorizing facts, rather than the ability to perform a physical action. This pattern focuses on what was learned, not necessarily on the skill to do something.
Structure and meaning
Structure: aprender + noun (direct object).
Meaning: to learn facts, information, or knowledge about a subject.
Examples:
Eu aprendi muitas palavras novas no curso.
Ela aprendeu o nome dos rios do Brasil.
Nós aprendemos a história da cidade na escola.
Notes:
– When the noun refers to a field of knowledge or subject, the preposition de can be added: aprender sobre / aprender de is possible but aprender sobre is more common: aprender sobre história.
Comparing the noun and infinitive uses
Consider the pair:
Aprendi espanhol. (I learned Spanish — focus on the language as knowledge.)
Aprendi a falar espanhol. (I learned to speak Spanish — focus on the ability to speak.)
The first sentence emphasizes the subject as an item of study. The second emphasizes the acquired communicative skill.
Combined forms: aprender + noun + a + infinitive
You can combine both structures to indicate both the subject learned and the action learned with respect to that subject. This is useful when you want to be specific about what was studied and what skill was acquired.
Examples:
Aprendi gramática para poder escrever melhor. (I learned grammar in order to be able to write better.)
Na aula de francês, aprendi vocabulário e aprendi a conversar com nativos. (In the French class, I learned vocabulary and I learned to converse with natives.)
In these sentences, the noun names the content and the infinitive describes the practical skill derived from learning that content.
Using aprender with direct objects and prepositions
When the noun is a direct object, it usually follows aprender directly. If you want to indicate the topic or source of learning, use prepositions like de, sobre, or com:
Aprendi matemática na escola.
Aprendi sobre cultura brasileira lendo livros.
Aprendi com meus colegas de trabalho.
Reflexive and pronominal uses
Aprender can be used with reflexive pronouns to emphasize that someone learned something for themselves or to express becoming used to something. The pronominal form often appears as aprender a viver com or aprender-se a.
Examples:
Ele aprendeu a se adaptar às mudanças. (He learned to adapt himself to changes.)
Aprendi-me a organizar melhor o tempo. (A somewhat formal phrasing: I learned to organize myself better.)
Note that in Brazil, clitic pronoun placement preferences mean most speakers would say se adaptar or me adaptar rather than aprender-se.
Common verbs that pair with aprender
Some verbs commonly appear with aprender in natural speech and writing. Recognizing these collocations helps you sound more native.
Aprender a + falar, ler, escrever, cozinhar, dirigir, nadar, tocar, programar, usar.
Aprender + nouns like vocabulário, gramática, regras, fatos, informações.
Examples:
Estou aprendendo a programar em Python.
Ele aprendeu as regras do jogo rápido.
Tip: separar conhecimento e habilidade
Remember to separate knowledge from skill when choosing structure: If you talk about the ability to do something, use aprender a + infinitive. If you talk about what you studied or memorized, use aprender + noun.
Example for contrast:
Aprendi as capitais do Brasil — knowledge.
Aprendi a nomear as capitais quando preciso — ability to name them.
Cultural and usage notes
Brazilian Portuguese favors aprender a + infinitive in everyday conversation when talking about new abilities. In formal writing, you may see aprender + noun more often when discussing study programs, curricula, or academic achievements.
Also, Brazilian Portuguese frequently uses estar aprendendo to describe ongoing learning, similar to the English progressive form. This is especially common for language learning and hobbies.
Examples:
Eu estou aprendendo a tocar violão. (ongoing process)
Ela está aprendendo muito no estágio. (gaining knowledge during an internship)
Politeness and softening
To sound polite or less direct, Brazilians often use modal verbs and expressions combined with aprender. For example, querer aprender or gostar de aprender soften requests or statements:
Eu gostaria de aprender a cozinhar pratos veganos.
Quero aprender mais sobre design gráfico.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
1) Omitting the a before the infinitive unnecessarily: While aprender + infinitive can be grammatical, learners often need the a to sound natural: Aprendi a nadar is preferred over Aprendi nadar.
2) Confusing aprender with ensinar: Aprender means to learn; ensinar means to teach. Incorrect: Ele aprendeu a turma. Correct: Ele ensinou a turma or Ele aprendeu com a turma as appropriate.
3) Mixing up noun vs. infinitive meaning: If you say Aprendi inglês without context, listeners might interpret it as having acquired knowledge of the language. If you mean you can now speak it, say Aprendi a falar inglês.
How to practice naturally
Listen for aprender + a in Brazilian media: language-learning vloggers, cooking shows, and interviews. Pay attention to whether speakers emphasize the skill (aprender a cozinhar) or the content (aprender receitas). Try repeating sample sentences aloud to build muscle memory for the preposition a and the infinitive form.
Quick reference: patterns and examples
Aprender a + infinitive = to learn to do something
Eu aprendi a dirigir.
Aprender + noun = to learn facts or knowledge
Nós aprendemos história no colégio.
Aprender + noun + a + infinitive = to learn content and the related skill
Ela aprendeu gramática e aprendeu a escrever melhor.
Conclusion
Mastering how to use aprender with nouns and infinitives will make your Portuguese more precise and natural. Use aprender a + infinitive for abilities and skills, use aprender + noun for facts and knowledge, and combine both when you want to show content plus practical skills. Notice usage in Brazilian speech, and practice forming sentences that match what you mean to express.
