Lerne

Lerne is a German verb form that appears in two common functions. It is the first-person singular present tense of lernen, meaning "I learn." It is also the imperative form for the informal second person, used to give a direct command such as "Lerne Deutsch!" The word in lowercase form in the middle of a sentence can indicate the same verb, as German capitalization rules apply mainly to nouns.

Etymology and meaning: Lernen belongs to the Germanic family of verbs and is cognate with the English verb "learn." Its sense covers acquiring knowledge or skills through study, practice, or experience. In modern German, lernen is used for school subjects, languages, crafts, and any process of acquiring new abilities.

Grammar and usage: Lernen is a regular verb. Its present tense forms are: ich lerne, du lernst, er/sie/es lernt, wir lernen, ihr lernt, sie/Sie lernen. The past participle is gelernt, used with the auxiliary haben to form the perfect: ich habe gelernt. The simple past is ich lernte. The verb can appear in various tenses and moods, including subjunctive forms for reported or hypothetical learning situations.

Common contexts: The verb is central to education and personal development. Examples include "Ich lerne Deutsch," "Sie lernt jeden Abend eine neue Fähigkeit," and "Wir lernen gemeinsam." The related noun das Lernen denotes the activity or process of learning.

See also: Lehren (to teach), Lernen (the act or concept of learning), Lern- as a productive prefix in German compounds.