apprendre Examples, Sentences & Quiz in French

apprendre — learn — is one of the verbs you will use every day in French. apprendre is the verb for talking about learning a language: it comes up whenever you talk about describing school or learning a new skill. On this page you will find apprendre in real sentences, grouped by meaning and tense, two short texts that show it in context, the mistakes learners actually make with it, and a ten-question quiz with explained answers. Start with the examples, say them aloud, and then test yourself.

Example sentences with apprendre

In the present tense

  • “J'apprends le français.” — “I learn French.”
  • “Tu apprends une chanson.” — “You learn a song.”
  • “Il apprend les règles.” — “He learns the rules.”
  • “Nous apprenons un métier.” — “We learn a trade.”
  • “Vous apprenez le français.” — “You learn French.”
  • “Ils apprennent une chanson.” — “They learn a song.”

In the passé composé

  • “J'ai appris le français cette semaine.” — “I have learned French this week.”
  • “Tu as appris une chanson cette semaine.” — “You have learned a song this week.”
  • “Il a appris les règles cette semaine.” — “He has learned the rules this week.”
  • “Nous avons appris un métier cette semaine.” — “We have learned a trade this week.”
  • “Vous avez appris le français cette semaine.” — “You have learned French this week.”
  • “Ils ont appris une chanson cette semaine.” — “They have learned a song this week.”

In other tenses

The same verb in the imperfect, the future, the conditional and the present subjunctive — the four tenses that complete the picture. All forms come from the verified tables.

  • “J'apprenais le français avant.” — “I used to learn French before.”
  • “J'apprendrai une chanson demain.” — “I will learn a song tomorrow.”
  • “J'apprendrais les règles un jour.” — “I would learn the rules one day.”
  • “Bien que il apprenne un métier” — “Although he learns a trade.”

apprendre in context

J'apprends le français. Tu apprends une chanson. Il apprend les règles. Nous apprenons un métier.

I learn French. You learn a song. He learns the rules. We learn a trade.

J'ai appris le français. Il a appris une chanson. Nous avons appris les règles.

I have learned French this week. He has learned a song this week. We have learned the rules this week.

Common mistakes with apprendre

Mistake 1

Wrong: Je apprendre le français.

Right: Je apprends le français.

The infinitive never takes a subject: after je you need the conjugated form apprends.

Mistake 2

Wrong: Je apprenons une chanson.

Right: Je apprends une chanson.

apprenons is the nous form. With je, use apprends.

Mistake 3

Wrong: Hier, je apprends les règles.

Right: Hier, j'ai appris les règles.

Yesterday needs the passé composé ai appris, not the present.

Mistake 4

Wrong: Bien que je apprends un métier.

Right: Bien que je apprenne un métier.

After bien que French needs the subjunctive apprenne.

Mistake 5

Wrong: Je apprenais le français hier. (said of one finished moment)

Right: J'ai appris le français hier.

The imperfect describes an ongoing or repeated past. One finished moment yesterday takes the passé composé.

Quiz: test yourself on apprendre

Ten questions on apprendre. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.

  1. What is the tu form of apprendre in the Present indicative?

    • A) apprends
    • B) apprenez
    • C) apprennent
    • D) apprend

  2. What is the nous form of apprendre in the Present indicative?

    • A) apprends
    • B) apprenons
    • C) apprend
    • D) apprennent

  3. What is the il/elle form of apprendre in the Present perfect?

    • A) avez appris
    • B) ont appris
    • C) a appris
    • D) avons appris

  4. What is the je form of apprendre in the Imperfect?

    • A) apprenions
    • B) apprenais
    • C) appreniez
    • D) apprenaient

  5. What is the nous form of apprendre in the Future?

    • A) apprendrons
    • B) apprendront
    • C) apprendrez
    • D) apprendra

  6. What is the tu form of apprendre in the Conditional?

    • A) apprendraient
    • B) apprendriez
    • C) apprendrais
    • D) apprendrait

  7. What is the je form of apprendre in the Present subjunctive?

    • A) apprennes
    • B) apprennent
    • C) apprenne
    • D) apprenions

  8. What is the il/elle form of apprendre in the Imperfect subjunctive?

    • A) apprissent
    • B) apprissiez
    • C) apprisses
    • D) apprît

  9. What is the gerund of apprendre?

    • A) apprenant
    • B) dormant
    • C) buvant

  10. What is the past participle of apprendre?

  • A) bu
  • B) appris
  • C) dormi

Answer key

  1. A) apprends — The tu form of apprendre in the present indicative is apprends.
  2. B) apprenons — The nous form of apprendre in the present indicative is apprenons.
  3. C) a appris — The il/elle form of apprendre in the present perfect is a appris.
  4. B) apprenais — The je form of apprendre in the imperfect is apprenais.
  5. A) apprendrons — The nous form of apprendre in the future is apprendrons.
  6. C) apprendrais — The tu form of apprendre in the conditional is apprendrais.
  7. C) apprenne — The je form of apprendre in the present subjunctive is apprenne.
  8. D) apprît — The il/elle form of apprendre in the imperfect subjunctive is apprît.
  9. A) apprenant — The gerund of apprendre is en apprenant; it is used after en for actions in progress.
  10. B) appris — The past participle of apprendre is appris; perfect tenses use avoir + appris.

Frequently asked questions

What does apprendre mean in English?

apprendre means “learn”. You use it for talking about learning a language, for describing school, and for learning a new skill.

Is apprendre regular or irregular?

apprendre is irregular, and it is irregular in these tenses: present, passe-simple, present-subjunctive, imperative-affirmative, imperative-negative. The gerund is en apprenant and the past participle is appris.

How do I say “I learn” in French?

Say “J'apprends le français.” — “I learn French.” The je form of the present is apprends.

Where can I see the full conjugation of apprendre?

On the full conjugation page, which has every tense, and on the Apprendre in Passé Composé Tense — French Conjugation Tables page.

How to practise apprendre this week

Pick one tense a day and say five sentences with apprendre out loud, using the examples on this page as your starting point. On the first day, use only the present tense and the complements from the examples above — le français, une chanson and les règles — and change only the person, so you hear how apprends, apprends and apprend sound next to each other. On the second day, retell yesterday in the passé composé with ai appris and the other perfect forms from the table. On the third day, write three short plans for tomorrow in the future tense, and on the fourth day, turn them into polite conditional sentences. Keep a small notebook and write each new sentence down: seeing en apprenant and appris in your own handwriting fixes them in memory far better than reading them once. Finally, take the quiz above again without looking at the answer key — when you can answer all ten questions from memory, move on to the next verb in the hub.

Pronunciation

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for apprendre, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.

Related pages