enseñar

To pass on knowledge to.

How to use

In formal or academic contexts, enseñar is often used to convey a sense of imparting knowledge or expertise. For example, 'El profesor enseñó a los estudiantes sobre la historia de la civilización' (The professor taught the students about the history of civilization). However, in more informal settings, enseñar can also imply showing or demonstrating something, as in 'Mi madre me enseñó a cocinar un delicioso plato de paella' (My mother taught me to cook a delicious paella dish). A common learner mistake is to use enseñar in the present tense to describe a one-time event, when in fact the correct verb to use would be 'enseñé' (I taught) in the preterite tense.