Introduction
Aprender means “to learn”, and this page covers exactly one thing: aprender in the present tense. The present is the tense Spanish speakers reach for when they talk about what happens regularly, what is true in general, and what is happening right now. On this page you will find the full present table for aprender, how the tense is formed for this verb, the situations where it is used, how it differs from the preterite, worked examples, the mistakes learners make most often, an eight-question quiz with explained answers, and answers to the questions students ask about aprender in the present. Aprender is the verb for learning a language: Spanish, English, French. The language is the direct object, with no preposition. For example: “Yo aprendo español.” — I am learning Spanish. Everything on this page uses the forms of aprender exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.
Aprender in the Present Tense — full table
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | aprendo |
| tú | aprendes |
| él/ella/Ud. | aprende |
| nosotros/as | aprendemos |
| vosotros/as | aprendéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | aprenden |
Gerund: aprendiendo · Past participle: aprendido
The gerund is aprendiendo, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy aprendiendo” means the action of aprender is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is aprendido, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he aprendido” is the present perfect, used for a completed action. Keep both forms in mind as you read the examples below, because the present is only one part of how aprender is used.
How the present of aprender is formed
Aprender is a regular -er verb, so the present follows the standard pattern with no surprises. Take the stem aprend (the infinitive without its -er ending) and add the present endings: -o for yo, -as or -es for tú, -a or -e for él/ella/Ud., -amos / -emos / -imos for nosotros, -éis for vosotros, and -an or -en for ellos/ellas/Uds.. That gives you aprendo, aprendes, aprende, aprendemos, aprendéis and aprenden. Because the verb is regular, once you know the stem and the six endings you can produce every form without memorising a list, and the same pattern works for every other regular -er verb you learn.
When to use the present of aprender
The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use aprender in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.
1. Learning a language
Aprender is the verb for learning a language: Spanish, English, French. The language is the direct object, with no preposition. Example: “Yo aprendo español.” — I am learning Spanish.
2. Learning to do something
Aprender a + infinitive means to learn to do something: to swim, to drive, to cook. The a is part of the structure. Example: “¿Tú aprendes a nadar?” — Are you learning to swim?
3. Learning from someone or something
Aprender de + person or con + person means to learn from or with someone. The preposition tells the listener where the learning comes from. Example: “Nosotros aprendemos con el profesor.” — We learn with the teacher.
4. Habits and routines
The present tense is the tense of routine. When something happens every day, every week or every morning, the present is the natural choice, and aprender is no exception. Use time expressions such as todos los días, siempre or cada semana to make the routine explicit. Example: “Yo aprendo español.” — I am learning Spanish.
5. What is happening right now
The present also describes an action in progress at this very moment. Spanish often prefers the simple present where English would use the continuous form, so a sentence with aprender in the present can mean both “I do this” and “I am doing this now”. Context tells the listener which one you mean. Example: “Nosotros aprendemos con el profesor.” — We learn with the teacher.
Present Tense vs Preterite: how to choose
The closest tense to the present is the preterite, and learners mix them up constantly. The rule is simple: the present describes habits, general truths and what is happening now, while the preterite describes one finished action in the past. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is the time frame — and with it, the tense. Notice how the present sentences use words such as todos los días or siempre, while the preterite sentences use ayer or la semana pasada. Those time words are your best clue when you are choosing a tense.
Present Tense: “Yo aprendo español todos los días.” — I learn Spanish every day.
Preterite: “Ayer yo aprendí una palabra nueva.” — Yesterday I learned a new word.
Todos los días describes an ongoing process, so the present is right; ayer names one finished day, so the preterite is right.
Present Tense: “Ellos aprenden a cocinar cada semana.” — They learn to cook every week.
Preterite: “Ellos aprendieron a cocinar el mes pasado.” — They learned to cook last month.
Cada semana signals repetition, so the present fits; el mes pasado names a finished period, so the preterite fits.
Present Tense: “Yo aprendo español.” — I am learning Spanish.
Preterite: “Ayer, yo aprendí español.” — the same action, but finished yesterday instead of repeated as a habit.
The present sentence is true every day; the preterite sentence is true once, yesterday. That difference — routine versus one finished event — is the whole decision.
Example sentences: aprender in the present
Read these eight sentences out loud. They cover all six persons, so by the end you will have seen every form in the table used in a real sentence. Pay attention to the words around the verb — the time expressions, the objects, the other verbs — because those are what make each sentence sound natural.
“Yo aprendo español.” — I am learning Spanish.
“¿Tú aprendes a nadar?” — Are you learning to swim?
“Mi hijo aprende a leer.” — My son is learning to read.
“Nosotros aprendemos con el profesor.” — We learn with the teacher.
“Vosotros aprendéis inglés en la escuela.” — You learn English at school.
“Ellos aprenden a cocinar.” — They are learning to cook.
“Yo aprendo de mis errores.” — I learn from my mistakes.
“El niño aprende rápido.” — The child learns quickly.
Common mistakes with aprender in the present
These are the errors learners actually make with this verb in this tense. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo aprendo nadar.” Right: “Yo aprendo a nadar.” Why: Aprender + infinitive needs the preposition a: aprendo a nadar, not aprendo nadar. Dropping the a is a direct transfer from English, where 'learn to swim' keeps the to, but Spanish needs its own a.
Wrong: “Ellos aprende a cocinar.” Right: “Ellos aprenden a cocinar.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form aprenden. The singular aprende belongs with él, ella or a singular noun such as mi hijo.
Wrong: “Yo aprendo español ayer.” Right: “Ayer yo aprendí una palabra nueva.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to aprendí, and the sentence needs a finished object, such as una palabra nueva.
Wrong: “Nosotros aprendes con el profesor.” Right: “Nosotros aprendemos con el profesor.” Why: Nosotros needs aprendemos. The tú form aprendes belongs with tú.
Quiz: aprender in the present
Choose the correct answer for each question, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained, so a wrong answer still teaches you something.
1. Complete the sentence: “Yo ______ español.” (I am learning Spanish.)
- (a) aprendes
- (b) aprende
- (c) aprendo
Answer: aprendo — The yo form of aprender in the present is aprendo. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
2. Complete the sentence: “¿Tú ______ a nadar?” (Are you learning to swim?)
- (a) aprende
- (b) aprendes
- (c) aprendo
Answer: aprendes — The tú form of aprender in the present is aprendes. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
3. Complete the sentence: “Mi hijo ______ a leer.” (My son is learning to read.)
- (a) aprende
- (b) aprendo
- (c) aprendes
Answer: aprende — The él/ella/Ud. form of aprender in the present is aprende. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros ______ con el profesor.” (We learn with the teacher.)
- (a) aprendo
- (b) aprendes
- (c) aprendemos
Answer: aprendemos — The nosotros/as form of aprender in the present is aprendemos. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
5. What is the vosotros/as form of aprender in the present?
- (a) aprendes
- (b) aprendéis
- (c) aprendo
Answer: aprendéis — From the table above: vosotros/as takes aprendéis. Say it with the example sentence “Vosotros aprendéis inglés en la escuela.” to fix it in your memory.
6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ a cocinar.” (They are learning to cook.)
- (a) aprendo
- (b) aprendes
- (c) aprenden
Answer: aprenden — The subject needs the ellos/ellas/Uds. form, which is aprenden.
7. Which is the correct yo form of aprender in the present?
- (a) aprendo
- (b) aprende
- (c) aprenden
Answer: aprendo — The yo form is aprendo. The other two options are the él/ella and ellos/ellas forms.
8. Which sentence describes a habit, something that happens regularly?
- (a) Yo aprendo español todos los días.
- (b) Ayer yo aprendí una palabra nueva.
- (c) Ayer yo aprendí una palabra nueva.
Answer: Yo aprendo español todos los días. — “Yo aprendo español todos los días.” describes something repeated, so it takes the present tense. The other two sentences describe single finished occasions in the past, not habits.
Frequently asked questions
Is aprender regular in the present tense?
Yes. Aprender is a regular -er verb: the stem is aprend- and the present endings are -o, -es, -e, -emos, -éis and -en. There are no stem changes, so the whole table follows the standard pattern.
Does aprender take a preposition before an infinitive?
Yes, it takes a: aprender a + infinitive. Say 'Aprendo a nadar', not 'Aprendo nadar'. Before a language or a subject, there is no preposition: 'Aprendo español'.
What is the difference between aprender and estudiar?
Aprender means to learn, to acquire knowledge, while estudiar means to study, to spend time learning. You study Spanish every day (estudiar), and over time you learn it (aprender). Studying is the activity; learning is the result.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of aprender — every tense of aprender in one place.
- Aprender examples and quiz — more sentences with aprender and a ten-question quiz.
- Spanish present guide — how the present works for all Spanish verbs.
- Spanish verbs — the hub for every Spanish verb on VerbFlow.
- Present tense conjugator — conjugate any verb in the present instantly.
- Verb quiz — test yourself on aprender and other verbs.