Aprender vs. Ensinar: Learn or Teach in Portuguese — Practice

Use aprender for the person gaining knowledge

The learner is the subject of aprender. You can learn a language, a skill, or how to do something. In the last pattern, Portuguese uses a + infinitive: aprender a cozinhar (learn to cook).

The preposition changes with the object: aprender português takes no preposition, while aprender sobre música means learn about music.

Use ensinar for the person sharing knowledge

The teacher, coach, or guide is the subject of ensinar. The person receiving the lesson can appear after a: ensinar português a alguém. In everyday speech, para alguém is also common.

Ask who is doing the teaching before translating an English sentence. The words can look similar in a conversation about a class, but the subject changes the meaning.

Remember: The learner learns with aprender; the person sharing the knowledge teaches with ensinar.

Check your understanding

Choose the English meaning of each Portuguese example. Answer before looking back at the tables. These questions check the written examples in this guide; they are not a listening or proficiency test.

Recall the Portuguese, then say it

Read the English prompt and say a Portuguese version before opening the answer. The answer shows the example from the lesson; other natural translations may also work. Compare the meaning and the situation rather than counting a different word as automatically wrong.

1. I’m learning Portuguese with podcasts.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Estou aprendendo português com podcasts.

2. She learned to drive last year.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Ela aprendeu a dirigir no ano passado.

3. I want to learn more about Brazilian culture.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Quero aprender mais sobre a cultura brasileira.

4. The teacher teaches Portuguese to foreigners.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   A professora ensina português para estrangeiros.

5. My friend taught me a new expression.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Meu amigo me ensinou uma expressão nova.

6. Can you teach me how to use this app?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Você pode me ensinar a usar este aplicativo?

Make the phrase useful to you

Choose one example you could actually use. Say it once from memory, then change one detail that fits your life, such as the person, place, time, or object. Check whether your change also needs a different verb form, article, or adjective ending. If it does, compare it with the pattern in the explanation.

The learner learns with aprender; the person sharing the knowledge teaches with ensinar.

Return to two prompts tomorrow without opening the answers first. If a phrase still feels difficult, shorten it to a useful chunk and build the complete sentence again.

Sources and your next lesson

This I Speak Portuguese practice guide builds on our Aprender vs. Ensinar: Learn or Teach in Portuguese? lesson on Real Life Portuguese, with written recall tasks and additional speaking practice. The explanations and examples are teaching material; the practice questions are exercises, not a transcript of a recording.

To add Brazilian audio to your routine, choose a lesson in the Real Life Portuguese app. The app offers its own lessons and practice; this page does not imply that every example here has an app recording.