learn by heart
/lɜːrn baɪ hɑːrt/
Meaning
To 'learn by heart' means to memorize something completely so that you can repeat it from memory without looking. It is often used for poems, vocabulary, math formulas, or songs.
Examples
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We had to learn a famous poem by heart for our English class.
We had to learn a famous poem by heart for our English class.
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I know all of my irregular verbs by heart now.
I know all of my irregular verbs by heart now.
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Don't just learn the answers by heart; try to understand them.
Don't just learn the answers by heart; try to understand them.
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She learned the entire presentation by heart because she was nervous.
She learned the entire presentation by heart because she was nervous.
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It is hard to learn so many vocabulary words by heart in one week.
It is hard to learn so many vocabulary words by heart in one week.
Common Mistakes
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✗ I learned the song by my heart.
✓ I learned the song by heart.
The idiom is fixed as 'by heart'. Do not add possessive pronouns like 'my', 'your', or 'his'.
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✗ You must learn this vocabulary with heart.
✓ You must learn this vocabulary by heart.
The correct preposition is 'by', not 'with' or 'from'.
Related Expressions
Practice
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It is difficult to ___ all these vocabulary words in a single day.
💡 To memorize something completely.
Show answer
learn by heart
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To pass the spelling test, we need to ___ the spelling of these fifty words.
💡 Commit the spelling of the words to memory.
Show answer
learn by heart