German · Everyday Verbs
"to study" in German: lernen
lernen
Note: at university: studieren
To study in German for school work is lernen. Say Ich lerne für die Prüfung. At university, studieren names your subject, but this headword is lernen.
Exam week
Ich lerne heute Abend Vokabeln.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce lernen
Say it
LAIR-nen
/ˈlɛʁnən/
LAIR-nen. Long e in ler-, soft final -en.
"to study" in German: quick reference
| German | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| lernen | to learn / to study School studying and learning skills. | School studying and learning skills. |
| ich lerne / du lernst | I study / you study Present forms. | Present forms. |
| für die Prüfung lernen | to study for the exam Classic collocation. | Classic collocation. |
| auswendig lernen | to memorize By heart. | By heart. |
How to use lernen in real life
- 1Exam week
Ich lerne heute Abend Vokabeln.
I'm studying vocabulary this evening.
Lerne is ich-form of lernen.
- 2Library whisper
Lernst du mit Karteikarten?
Do you study with flashcards?
Lernst is the du form.
- 3Group plan
Wir lernen zusammen bis acht.
We're studying together until eight.
Lernen is wir present.
Mistakes English speakers make with lernen
Incorrect: Ich studiere für den Test (school quiz)
Correct: Ich lerne für den Test.
School studying uses lernen. Studieren is for university study.
Incorrect: Ich learne Deutsch.
Correct: Ich lerne Deutsch.
Use lernen, not an English hybrid.
Good to know
Germans split lernen (study/learn) and studieren (be enrolled in a uni subject). Ich studiere Mathematik means your degree field, not tonight's homework.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Before a vocabulary quiz
ChatPal
Lernst du noch oder bist du fertig?
Are you still studying or are you done?
You
Ich lerne die letzten zehn Wörter.
I'm studying the last ten words.
ChatPal
Gut. Ich lerne lieber mit Beispielen.
Good. I prefer studying with examples.
You
Dann lernen wir fünf Minuten Dialoge.
Then we'll study dialogues for five minutes.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"to study" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to study" in German
Is lernen or studieren correct for homework?
Lernen. Studieren is for university enrollment/subjects.
How do you conjugate lernen?
Ich lerne, du lernst, er lernt, wir lernen.
How do you say study for an exam?
Für die Prüfung lernen.
How do you say memorize?
Auswendig lernen.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
