Word
learnt
US/ˈɫɝnt/
UK/lˈɜːnt/
Definition
v. to have gained knowledge or a skill by studying or practicing.
v. the past tense or past participle of 'learn', denoting the acquisition of knowledge or skill through experience or study.
Examples
“I learnt how to swim when I was five years old.”
“She learnt the local dialect quickly by spending every afternoon talking with the shopkeepers in the village square.”
“Having learnt the fundamental principles of organic chemistry during her undergraduate studies, she felt well-prepared to tackle the complexities of the advanced research project.”
Examples
simple
“I learnt how to swim when I was five years old.”
contextual
“She learnt the local dialect quickly by spending every afternoon talking with the shopkeepers in the village square.”
complex
“Having learnt the fundamental principles of organic chemistry during her undergraduate studies, she felt well-prepared to tackle the complexities of the advanced research project.”
Usage
In British English, 'learnt' and 'learned' are both acceptable, though 'learnt' is more common for the past tense.
Teaching tip
Advise students that 'learnt' is the standard British spelling, while American English almost exclusively uses 'learned'.
Pitfall
I have learned the piano since I was five.
I have been learning the piano since I was five.
Use the present perfect continuous for an action that started in the past and is still happening now.
Etymology
From Middle English lernd, lernde, equivalent to learn + -t.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/learnt