Learn vs. Master

These verbs are synonyms but differ in their level of expertise and context of use. Follow the lesson to find out more.

What is the difference between 'learn' and 'master'?

'Learn' means to acquire knowledge or skill through study, practice, or experience while 'master' means to become so skilled or proficient in a particular activity or subject that you have no difficulty dealing with it. This lesson will discuss the differences between the two verbs in terms of the implied level of expertise and the context of use as well as the grammatical structure.

Level of Expertise

'Learn' refers to the process of acquiring knowledge or skill through study, practice, or experience. It is a more general term that can refer to any level of proficiency, from basic familiarity to advanced expertise.
'Master', on the other hand, implies a higher level of skill or proficiency, often indicating expertise. To 'master' something typically involves a more focused and intentional effort to become highly skilled or proficient in a particular activity or subject.

She learned to play the piano when she was a child.

She has mastered the piano through years of practice.

The student learned about the history of the Civil War in school.

The athlete mastered the technique of the high jump.

Context of Use

'Learn' is more general in terms of the objects it covers. You can use 'learn' to talk about acquiring any kind of knowledge, skills, trade, etc. 'Master', however, is not commonly used to talk about knowledge and is mostly associated with mastery of a skill, language, etc. Compare the examples:

The students learned about the solar system by conducting experiments and reading books.

You cannot say 'the students mastered the solar system'

She learned how to bake bread from her grandmother's recipe.

'Learn' can be used to talk about both knowledge and skills.

He mastered the art of public speaking through years of practice and coaching.

Within 6 month, she had already mastered the new language.

Grammatical Structure

'Learn' can be both a transitive and an intransitive verb while 'master' is transitive and always needs an object. As a transitive verb, 'learn' often takes noun phrases or prepositional phrases with 'to' and 'about' as its object, while the object of 'master' is typically a noun phrase.

Children learn best through hands-on experiences and active participation.

'learn' as an intransitive verb

He learned to play the guitar by taking lessons from a skilled musician.

A prepositional phrase using 'to' is used when 'learn' refers to acquiring a skill.

Traveling allows you to learn about different cultures and customs.

A prepositional phrase using 'about' is used when 'learn' refers to acquiring knowledge.

She spent a lot of time and effort to learn a new language.

'learn' as a transitive verb with a noun phrase as its object

She spent a lot of time and effort to master a new language.

'Master' is a transitive verb and only takes a noun or noun phrase as object.

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