to teach
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to teach
To impart knowledge or skills to someone, usually in a formal setting such as a school or university. It can refer to theoretical knowledge or practical skills.
Frau Schmidt lehrt Mathematik am Gymnasium.
Ms. Schmidt teaches mathematics at the high school.
The verb 'lehren' (to teach) uses a special structure: the double accusative. This means it can have two accusative objects: the person who learns and the thing that is learned. The structure is: someone (nominative) teaches someone (accusative) something (accusative).
Ein alter Meister lehrte ihn die Kunst des Schwertkampfes.
An old master taught him the art of sword fighting.
The verb 'lehren' (to teach) is the root for important nouns in education. 'Der Lehrer' or 'die Lehrerin' is the person who teaches. 'Die Lehre' can mean both the taught lesson or doctrine and vocational training (apprenticeship).
Gute Lehrer können komplizierte Themen einfach erklären.
Good teachers can explain complicated topics simply.
'Lehren' (to teach) is mainly used in formal contexts such as schools, universities, and academia. It often sounds more elevated and formal than other words for 'unterrichten' (to teach).
Der Professor lehrt seit 20 Jahren an der Universität.
The professor has been teaching at the university for 20 years.
In the figurative meaning, the subject is often an abstract concept or an event, not a person. Sentences like 'Das Leben lehrte mich...' (Life taught me...) or 'Die Erfahrung hat sie gelehrt...' (The experience taught her...) show that a lesson was learned.
Diese schwere Zeit hat mich gelehrt, was wirklich wichtig ist.
This difficult time taught me what is truly important.
The expression 'jemanden das Fürchten lehren' (to teach someone fear) is a fixed idiom. The person who becomes afraid is always in the accusative.
Der laute Schrei in der Nacht lehrte die Kinder das Fürchten.
The loud scream in the night taught the children fear.
to show
'zeigen' and 'lehren' can both help with learning. 'zeigen' fits when someone makes something visible or demonstrates an action so that the other person understands it. This can be brief and practical. 'lehren' is more strongly connected with teaching and imparting knowledge. It sounds more formal and often means that someone teaches a subject, a skill, or a topic over a longer period of time. So you can show someone how a machine works, but a teacher teaches a subject or skill systematically.
Frau Becker lehrt seit vielen Jahren Deutsch an einer Schule.
Ms. Becker has been teaching German at a school for many years.
In der Werkstatt zeigt Mehmet dem neuen Kollegen die Maschine.
In the workshop, Mehmet shows the new colleague the machine.