Aprender
to learn
Presente
Current actions, habits, and general truths.
| eu | aprendo | Eu aprendo algo novo todos os dias — às vezes de propósito. — I learn something new every day — sometimes on purpose. |
| você/ele/ela | aprende | Ela aprende rápido quando se interessa. — She learns fast when she's interested. |
| nós | aprendemos | Nós aprendemos mais com os erros do que com os acertos. — We learn more from mistakes than from successes. |
| eles/elas | aprendem | Eles aprendem melhor fazendo do que ouvindo. — They learn better by doing than by listening. |
I learn more outside the classroom than inside. My friend learns a new English word every day — she's accumulated three thousand. We learn together to fix what is broken — in life and in objects. Whoever learns from everything never stops growing.
Pret. Perfeito
Completed past actions — what happened.
| eu | aprendi | Eu aprendi a cozinhar vendo minha avó — nunca de receita. — I learned to cook watching my grandmother — never from a recipe. |
| você/ele/ela | aprendeu | Ela aprendeu a dirigir aos quarenta e ficou feliz como criança. — She learned to drive at forty and was as happy as a child. |
| nós | aprendemos | Nós aprendemos juntos o que nenhum livro ensina. — We learned together what no book teaches. |
| eles/elas | aprenderam | Eles aprenderam a língua morando no país por um ano. — They learned the language by living in the country for a year. |
The course was transformative. I learned to programme in three months of intense dedication. My colleague learned to give feedback without hurting — a lesson worth more than any technique. We learned that collaborating accelerates everything. Those who learned the most were the ones who asked the most questions.
Pret. Imperfeito
Ongoing or habitual past — what used to happen or was happening.
| eu | aprendia | Eu aprendia melhor de manhã quando a cabeça estava descansada. — I used to learn better in the morning when my head was rested. |
| você/ele/ela | aprendia | Ela aprendia qualquer coisa que envolvia criatividade. — She used to learn anything that involved creativity. |
| nós | aprendíamos | Nós aprendíamos observando os mais velhos sem que eles soubessem. — We used to learn by watching the older ones without them knowing. |
| eles/elas | aprendiam | Eles aprendiam uns com os outros mais do que com os professores. — They used to learn more from each other than from the teachers. |
At school, I used to learn by example more than by explanation. My Portuguese teacher used to learn alongside us — and that taught us more than the content. We used to learn through play without noticing it was happening. The best teachers used to learn from the students too.
Futuro Informal
Plans and intentions — "going to." The most common future form in spoken BR Portuguese.
| eu | vou aprender | Vou aprender italiano esse ano — promessa real desta vez. — I'm going to learn Italian this year — a real promise this time. |
| você/ele/ela | vai aprender | Ela vai aprender a tocar violão com o pai. — She's going to learn to play guitar with her dad. |
| nós | vamos aprender | Vamos aprender juntos — é sempre melhor assim. — We're going to learn together — it's always better that way. |
| eles/elas | vão aprender | Eles vão aprender mais nessa viagem do que num semestre de aula. — They're going to learn more on this trip than in a semester of classes. |
Next year is going to be one of intense learning. I'm going to learn to meditate properly — not just try. My nephew is going to learn to read this year and I'll accompany every step. We're going to learn together on this trip to Japan — language, culture, way of life. Those who are going to learn the most are the ones who arrive knowing nothing.
Futuro Formal
Formal future — "shall/will." More common in writing than speech.
| eu | aprenderei | Aprenderei enquanto houver curiosidade. — I will learn for as long as there is curiosity. |
| você/ele/ela | aprenderá | Ela aprenderá com cada desafio que enfrentar. — She will learn from every challenge she faces. |
| nós | aprenderemos | Aprenderemos desta experiência para sempre. — We will learn from this experience forever. |
| eles/elas | aprenderão | Os alunos aprenderão no próprio ritmo. — The students will learn at their own pace. |
The school's manifesto was clear: Students will learn at their own pace, without comparison with others. We will learn from each other as much as from the teachers. The communities will learn from the projects developed by the students. I will personally learn from every class that passes through me.
Condicional
Hypotheticals and polite requests — "would."
| eu | aprenderia | Eu aprenderia mais rápido com um bom mentor. — I would learn faster with a good mentor. |
| você/ele/ela | aprenderia | Ela aprenderia qualquer idioma se tivesse imersão total. — She would learn any language with total immersion. |
| nós | aprenderíamos | Aprenderíamos mais se errássemos sem medo de julgamento. — We would learn more if we made mistakes without fear of judgement. |
| eles/elas | aprenderiam | Eles aprenderiam melhor com exemplos práticos. — They would learn better with practical examples. |
If mistakes were celebrated instead of punished, I would learn much faster. My friend would learn to play piano if he hadn't given up in the second week. We would learn more if there were time for curiosity to wander. Organisations would learn faster if they turned failure into data.
Aprender across the tenses
A short story using aprender in multiple tenses
Minha professora favorita dizia que aprendemos toda a vida — e ela provava isso aprendendo junto com a gente. Aprendia do nosso vocabulário, das nossas referências, das nossas perguntas sem resposta. Nós aprendíamos mais na troca do que no monólogo.
Hoje eu aprendo pensando nela. Ontem aprendi que não sei fazer uma coisa que achei que sabia — e isso foi ótimo. Aprendemos às vezes o mais importante bem depois do momento em que ele acontece.
No próximo semestre, vou aprender algo completamente fora da minha área. Se funcionar, aprenderei que a curiosidade não precisa de justificativa.
Perguntei a ela o que aprenderia se pudesse recomeçar. Ela sorriu: Aprenderia a ouvir mais cedo. Aprendi tarde que ouvir é a forma mais alta de aprender.
My favourite teacher used to say we learn all our lives — and she proved it by learning alongside us. She used to learn from our vocabulary, our references, our unanswered questions. We used to learn more in the exchange than in the monologue. Today I learn thinking of her. Yesterday I learned that I don't know how to do something I thought I did — and that was great. We sometimes learn the most important things well after the moment they happen. Next semester, I'm going to learn something completely outside my field. If it works, I will learn that curiosity needs no justification. I asked her what she would learn if she could start over. She smiled: I would learn to listen earlier. I learned too late that listening is the highest form of learning.
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