Russian Vocabulary (and Wisdom)

How to say "to learn" in Russian

This Russian word is one of the top 1000 words in Russian. The complete list of most common Russian words is available here.

узнать

Meaning: to learn, to get to know, find out, recognize

Pronunciation: [ooz-NAHT']

Part of speech: verb (perfective aspect)

Rank: #260 (see frequency list)

I'm curious if he'll recognize himself on the caricature.
Photo by Claudio Mangini, licensed under CC SA 2.0

Example sentences:

От негó я мнóго узнáл.
I've learned a lot from him.
Нáдо узнáть, как они́ рабóтают в бáнке.
You need to find out the bank's opening hours.
literal It's necessary to learn how they work in the bank.
Когдá ты узнáла о том, что они жени́лись?
When did you learn that they got married? (said by a female)
Ди́на узнáла своегó брáта по гóлосу.
Dina recognized her brother by his voice.
На трéнинге мы узнáли мнóго нóвого.
We learned many new things during the training course.
Что ты бу́дешь дéлать, écли узнáeшь, что женá тебé изменя́ет?
What are you going to do if you find out that your wife is unfaithful to you?
Cкóро э́ти подлецы́ узнáют, как они́ ошибáлись!
Soon these bastards will realize how mistaken they were!
Узнáй-ка, кáк там у них делá.
Do me a favor, ask them how they're doing.
literal Learn how their things are.
Когдá они́ нáчали жить вмécте, он горáздо лу́чше узнáл eë.
When they started living together, he got to know her much better.
Постарáйся сдéлать так, чтóбы никтó об э́том ничегó не узнáл.
Try to do it in a way so that nobody finds out anything about it.
На ку́рсах я узнáлa, как дéлать блóги.
I've learned how to create blogs at the courses.
literal At the courses I learned how to create blogs.
Когдá ему́ бы́ло три́дцать, он впервы́е узнáл, что такóе бессóнница.
When he was thirty he learned for the first time what the insomnia was.
Интерécно, узнáeт ли он себя́ на карикату́ре.
I'm curious if he'll recognize himself on the caricature.
literal It's interesting if he'll recognize himself on the caricature.

Idioms and set expressions:

свои́х не узнáешь = you won't know what hit you
узнáть по гóлосу = to recognize by voice
узнáть по похóдке = to recognize by step
узнать всю подногóтную = to learn the whole truth

Related words:

узнавáть = to learn, find out, recognize
вы́учить = to learn
знать = to know

Proverbs and sayings:

Мáма рóднaя не узнáeт.
Your own mother won't recognize you.
Дру́га узнáть - вмécте куль сóли съесть.
A friend in need is a friend indeed.
literal To know a friend one has to eat a sack of salt with him.

Verb conjugation:

Present Tense

The perfective verb узнать is not used in the Present Tense. Use the imperfective verb знать instead.

Past Tense

I, you (singular), he	узна́л
she	узна́ла
it	узна́ло
we, you (plural), they	узна́ли

Future Simple Tense

I	узна́ю
you (singular)	узна́ешь
he, she, it	узна́ет
we	узна́ем
you (plural)	узна́ете
they	узна́ют

Future Compound Tense

The perfective verb узнать is not used in the Future Compound Tense. Use the imperfective verb знать instead.

Imperative Mood (Command Form)

you (singular)	узна́й
you (plural)	узна́йте

View full conjugation table for the verb pair знать/узнать

Vocabulary lesson: By Russificate blog exclusively for MasterRussian

Phrase recordings: Copyright(c) 2011 MasterRussian.com. All rights reserved.
Word recordings: Copyright(c) 2006 Streit Goulnara, Streit Eric, Vion Nicolas. Copyright(c) 2007 S. Sakhno, N. Vion. Distributed under CC-BY.

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