Ensinar vs. Aprender in Portuguese: Teach or Learn?
Ensinar means to teach; aprender means to learn. Track who gives the knowledge and who receives it to choose the right verb.
Real Life Portuguese · 5 min read · Updated October 14, 2026
The short answer
Ensinar means ‘to teach’ or ‘to show someone how to do something.’ The person who teaches is the subject. A common pattern is ensinar + lesson or skill + a alguém: ensinar português aos alunos (teach Portuguese to the students).
Use ensinar when someone teaches
Portuguese can use para in some contexts, but a alguém is a clear everyday pattern for naming the learner. When the learner is understood, omit that part: ela ensina português (she teaches Portuguese).
Minha avó me ensinou a fazer pão.
My grandmother taught me how to make bread.
O professor ensina português aos estrangeiros.
The teacher teaches Portuguese to foreign students.
Você pode me ensinar esse jogo?
Can you teach me this game?
Use aprender when someone learns
Aprender means ‘to learn.’ The person gaining knowledge is the subject: estou aprendendo português (I’m learning Portuguese). You may learn a skill, a fact, or how to do something: aprender a cozinhar (learn to cook).
A useful memory check is to ask who is changing. If someone passes knowledge to another person, use ensinar. If someone gains knowledge or a skill, use aprender. The same people can appear in both sentences, but their roles switch.
Estou aprendendo a dirigir.
I’m learning to drive.
Eles aprenderam muitas palavras novas.
They learned many new words.
A gente aprende melhor praticando.
We learn better by practising.
Put it into practice
Ensinar is what a teacher does; aprender is what a learner does. In ensinar algo a alguém, the person after a is the one being taught.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “My grandmother taught me how to make bread”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
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