The verb to learn · Conjugation
Past Simple of learn
The answer: learned (US) / learnt (UK)
A2
A finished action at a definite time in the past.
Quick answer
The Past Simple of the verb to learn is learned (US) / learnt (UK).
Example: I learned English at school.
Full conjugation in the Past Simple
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| I | learned / learnt |
| You | learned / learnt |
| He / She / It | learned / learnt |
| We | learned / learnt |
| You (pl.) | learned / learnt |
| They | learned / learnt |
Common mistakes to avoid
1. He learnt me English ❌
Learn = to get knowledge. Teach = to give knowledge to someone. Say He taught me English (teach → taught → taught).
2. Learnd ❌
The Past Simple and the past participle have two correct spellings: learned or learnt. Learnt is common in British English; American English uses learned. Learnd does not exist. Other verbs with two forms: burned / burnt, spelled / spelt.
Practice quiz
Going further
The English contest tests the Past Simple of learn in real sentences
Instead of a single school exercise, your students meet this tense in context, in a contest that really motivates them.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the past tense of learn?+
You can say learned or learnt. Both are correct, for every person: I learned to swim when I was six. Learnt is more common in British English.
Is it learn me or teach me?+
Say teach me. Learn means to get knowledge; teach means to give it to someone. My grandad taught me to play chess. I learnt chess from my grandad.
What is a learner?+
A learner is a person who is learning something: a language learner, a fast learner. In the UK, a learner driver is someone who is learning to drive.
How do you use learn by heart in a sentence?+
Put the thing you learn between learn and by heart: I learnt the song by heart. Did you learn your lines by heart?
Why is it not learnd?+
Regular verbs always add the full ending -ed in writing: learned, never learnd. The other form is learnt, with a t. Careful: the adjective learned (/ˈlɜːnɪd/, two syllables) describes a person who knows a lot. It is a formal word.
Related pages: learn Past Simple
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/verbs/learn/past-simple
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.
Keep learning
More forms of the verb to learn are coming soon.