Lehren

Lehren is a German verb meaning to teach or to impart knowledge or skills. It is used for the act of instructing someone, typically by a teacher, trainer, or mentor. Conjugation in the present tense is: ich lehre, du lehrst, er lehrt; wir lehren, ihr lehrt, sie lehren. The past tense can be formed with the preterite “lehrte” (ich lehrte, du lehrtest, er lehrte, wir lehrten, ihr lehrtet, sie lehrten) and the perfect with “hat gelehrt.” The present participle is lehrend and the past participle is gelehrt. The verb appears in many common phrases such as “lehren, was richtig ist” or “jemandem etwas lehren.”

Lehre is the corresponding noun meaning teaching, doctrine, instruction, or apprenticeship. In this sense, Lehre can denote the act of teaching, a body of doctrine (for example, religious or philosophical Lehre), or a formal training period as an apprenticeship. The plural Lehren is used when referring to multiple teachings or to multiple apprenticeship programs. Common expressions include Lehre und Forschung (teaching and research), oder sich einer bestimmten Lehre anschließen (to adhere to a particular doctrine). The noun Lehre also has the sense of a formal training path, as in “eine Lehre beginnen” (to start an apprenticeship).

Etymology and usage notes: Lehren and Lehre share a common root related to instruction and learning in Germanic languages. In everyday language, Lehren most often appears as a verb or plural noun and is less common as a standalone proper noun.