All German word comparisons · Back to the topic overview
Meaning, sentence patterns and examples
| Word | Core meaning | Typical context | Grammar |
|---|---|---|---|
| lehren | teach | subjects, skills, university teaching | lehrt, lehrte, hat gelehrt |
| belehren | instruct; correct someone's understanding | explanations, official instruction, admonishment | Inseparable; jemanden belehren |
| unterrichten | give lessons; inform | classes or passing on information | Inseparable; jemanden unterrichten |
lehren
Meaning and usage: Use lehren for imparting knowledge or a skill. It is common in discussions of academic teaching and can also describe experience teaching someone a lesson.
Grammar: Regular: lehrt, lehrte, hat gelehrt. A subject can be accusative, such as Deutsch lehren. With a person and a taught thing, double accusative is possible: jemanden etwas lehren. Duden also records a dative recipient with a noun object; with a bare infinitive, use the accusative person.
Sie lehrt Geschichte an einer Universität.
She teaches history at a university.
Mein Großvater hat mich schwimmen gelehrt.
My grandfather taught me to swim.
belehren
Meaning and usage: This often emphasizes directing someone's understanding, correcting a mistaken view or explaining what they need to know. Someone who does not want unsolicited instruction may interpret it as being lectured.
Grammar: Regular and inseparable: belehrt, belehrte, hat belehrt. The instructed person is accusative: jemanden belehren. Über + accusative can introduce the subject matter.
Der Beamte belehrt die Beteiligten über ihre Rechte.
The official informs the parties of their rights.
Sie möchte helfen, ohne ihn ständig zu belehren.
She wants to help without constantly lecturing him.
unterrichten
Meaning and usage: The everyday teaching sense concerns giving lessons in a subject or teaching students. In another sense it means supplying someone with information, not conducting a class.
Grammar: Regular and inseparable: unterrichtet, unterrichtete, hat unterrichtet. Teach a subject or a person; in + dative may name the subject. For informing, use jemanden über + accusative or von + dative unterrichten.
Er unterrichtet Deutsch an einer Abendschule.
He teaches German at an evening school.
Bitte unterrichten Sie uns über die Änderungen.
Please inform us of the changes.
Overlap and context
Lehren and unterrichten genuinely overlap in subject teaching. Belehren can be legitimate instruction rather than an insult; the relationship and tone matter. With unterrichten, an über phrase and administrative context often point to informing. A direct English translation of 'teach' or 'instruct' will not capture all these uses.
Common mistakes
- Do not translate teaching a class automatically as belehren.
- Unterrichten is inseparable: er unterrichtet, not er richtet unter.
- Avoid claiming lehren permits only one case pattern; its constructions differ.
Memory aid: Lehren passes on knowledge; unterrichten gives lessons or news; belehren directs understanding.
Try it
Which meaning fits: Die Firma unterrichtet uns über den neuen Termin?
Show the answer
The company informs us of the new date.
The über phrase supplies information, rather than a school subject taught in lessons.