Aprender A + Infinitive: Say What You Are Learning to Do — Practice
A guided practice lesson with English explanations, Brazilian Portuguese examples, and answers you can check. Read the examples, recall the meaning, then say a version of your own.
Put a before the skill you are learning
Use aprender a followed by an infinitive when you mean learning to do something: aprender a cozinhar, aprender a dirigir, or aprender a nadar. The first verb changes for the person and time; the skill verb stays in its infinitive form. Compare estou aprendendo a dirigir with aprendi a dirigir.
When naming a subject or language directly, you do not need that skill construction: estou aprendendo português names the language. Aprender a falar português focuses on learning to speak it. Neither expression means teaching another person; that direction of learning uses ensinar.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Estou aprendendo a cozinhar. | I’m learning to cook. |
| Ela está aprendendo português. | She is learning Portuguese. |
| Aprendi a nadar quando era criança. | I learned to swim when I was a child. |
Ask about the next skill
Use querer aprender a when the skill is still a goal. Use já aprendeu a…? to ask whether someone has learned to do it. Keep the infinitive after a, even when you change the subject of the first verb. The sentence describes an ability being learned, not a promise that the learner has mastered it.
For your own practice, choose a real skill and describe your current stage: wanting to learn, learning now, or having learned earlier. Add a concrete task so the sentence means something to you. You can then ask a friend what they would like to learn.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Quero aprender a tocar violão. | I want to learn to play the guitar. |
| Você já aprendeu a dirigir? | Have you learned to drive yet? |
| Meu irmão me ensinou a cozinhar arroz. | My brother taught me to cook rice. |
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.
I’m learning to cook.
Show a Portuguese answer
Estou aprendendo a cozinhar.
She is learning Portuguese.
Show a Portuguese answer
Ela está aprendendo português.
I learned to swim when I was a child.
Show a Portuguese answer
Aprendi a nadar quando era criança.
I want to learn to play the guitar.
Show a Portuguese answer
Quero aprender a tocar violão.
Have you learned to drive yet?
Show a Portuguese answer
Você já aprendeu a dirigir?
My brother taught me to cook rice.
Show a Portuguese answer
Meu irmão me ensinou a cozinhar arroz.
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.
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 Ensinar vs. Aprender in Portuguese: Teach or Learn? 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.
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