gelernt

Gelernt is the past participle of the German verb lernen, meaning to learn. It is primarily used with the auxiliary haben to form perfect tenses: Ich habe gelernt, Du hast gelernt, Er hat gelernt. This use expresses that learning occurred in the past and has relevance to the present, as in Ich habe Deutsch gelernt.

As a participle, gelernt also appears in compound tenses such as Perfekt, Plusquamperfekt, and Futur II. In these forms it retains the sense of having acquired knowledge or a skill. For example: Wir haben viel gelernt. Er hat klug gelernt.

Gelernt can also function as part of adjectival phrases, especially in the form gelernter/gelernte/gelernte, to describe a person who has completed formal training in a profession. Common examples include ein gelernter Elektriker or eine gelernte Friseurin, meaning a trained or qualified professional. In everyday usage, the attributive adjective tends to take the normal inflection for gender and number (gelernter, gelernte, gelernte).

Etymologically, gelernt is derived from lernen with the typical German past participle prefix ge- and final -t. The root meaning is preserved across Germanic languages, with cognates related to the English learn/learner.

Related terms include erlernen, which emphasizes acquiring a skill through deliberate effort, and erlernt, its past participle. Gelernt is thus a central term for describing learning events and credentials in German, as well as for indicating that someone has been trained in a recognized occupation.