Apprendre (to learn) and comprendre (to understand) are both built on prendre (to take) with a prefix added, and they conjugate exactly the same way. Learn prendre once, and you already know all three.
1. Prendre: the base verb
| Je prends le métro. | I take the subway. |
| Tu prends un café ? | Are you having a coffee? |
| Elle prend une décision. | She's making a decision. |
| Nous prenons nos billets. | We're getting our tickets. |
| Vous prenez le train ? | Are you taking the train? |
| Ils prennent leurs sacs. | They're taking their bags. |
2. Apprendre and comprendre: same pattern, new prefix
| J'apprends le français. | I'm learning French. |
| Tu apprends à nager. | You're learning to swim. |
| Je comprends la question. | I understand the question. |
| Ils ne comprennent pas. | They don't understand. |
Apprendre à + infinitive means "to learn to do something": J'apprends à conduire (I'm learning to drive). Don't forget the à; unlike pouvoir/vouloir/devoir, apprendre needs it before an infinitive.
3. Watch out: the double "n" in the plural
In ils/elles forms, the stem doubles its final n: prend → prennent, apprend → apprennent, comprend → comprennent. Compare with nous prenons / vous prenez, which keep a single n. (This is the same pattern you'll see in venir → viennent.)
4. Conjugation: present tense
| Pronoun | Prendre | Apprendre | Comprendre |
|---|---|---|---|
| je / j' | prends | apprends | comprends |
| tu | prends | apprends | comprends |
| il / elle / on | prend | apprend | comprend |
| nous | prenons | apprenons | comprenons |
| vous | prenez | apprenez | comprenez |
| ils / elles | prennent | apprennent | comprennent |