To deliberately get rid of something you already learned, because it is now in your way. This is not forgetting — forgetting happens to you, unlearning is work you choose to do. And it is not learning the opposite either; it is the harder job of loosening a habit that has become automatic so that a new one has room to form.

To deliberately get rid of something you already learned故意把已經學會的東西丟掉，because it is now in your way因為它現在擋到你了。This is not forgetting這不是忘記——forgetting happens to you忘記是發生在你身上的事，unlearning is work you choose to dounlearn是你自己選擇要做的功夫。And it is not learning the opposite either這也不是學相反的東西，it is the harder job of loosening a habit而是更難的功夫，要把一個習慣鬆開，that has become automatic這個習慣已經變成自動反應了，so that a new one has room to form這樣新的習慣才有空間長出來。

The word is nearly always about habits, beliefs, and skills rather than facts.

The word is nearly always about habits, beliefs, and skills這個字幾乎都是在講習慣、信念和技能，rather than facts而不是事實。

A tennis player has to unlearn a bad serve. A driver moving from Taiwan to Britain has to unlearn keeping right. A student who spent six years translating every English sentence from Chinese in their head has to unlearn that before they can speak at normal speed.

A tennis player網球選手has to unlearn a bad serve得把不好的發球習慣戒掉。A driver moving from Taiwan to Britain從台灣搬到英國的駕駛has to unlearn keeping right得把靠右開車的習慣戒掉。A student who spent six years translating every English sentence from Chinese in their head一個花六年時間，每句英文都在腦中從中文翻譯過來的學生has to unlearn that得把這個習慣戒掉，before they can speak at normal speed才能用正常速度講話。

Notice the shape of all of these: what you are undoing was once useful, or at least once worked. That is exactly why it is so hard to drop.

Notice the shape of all of these注意這些例子共同的形狀：what you are undoing你正在拆掉的東西was once useful, or at least once worked曾經有用，或至少曾經行得通。That is exactly why這正是為什麼it is so hard to drop它這麼難丟掉。

It also carries a social and political sense, common now in writing about race, gender, and culture: 'unlearning the assumptions we grew up with'. Here it means examining something you were taught so early that it never looked like a lesson, and choosing to put it down.

It also carries a social and political sense這個字也帶有社會和政治上的意思，common now in writing about race, gender, and culture現在常出現在討論種族、性別和文化的文章裡：'unlearning the assumptions we grew up with'像「unlearning the assumptions we grew up with把我們從小接受的預設觀念拆掉」這樣的說法。Here it means examining something這裡的意思是去檢視某個東西，you were taught so early你從很小的時候就被教了，that it never looked like a lesson小到它從來不像是一堂課，and choosing to put it down然後選擇把它放下。

Grammar: it is a normal verb — unlearn, unlearned, unlearning. Both 'unlearned' and 'unlearnt' exist as the past form, with 'unlearnt' more British. Be careful, though: the adjective 'unlearned' (often said un-LERN-id, three syllables) is a separate old word meaning 'having no education', and it is not the past tense of this verb.

Grammar文法上：it is a normal verb這是一個普通動詞——unlearn, unlearned, unlearningunlearn、unlearned、unlearning這樣變化。Both 'unlearned' and 'unlearnt' exist as the past form'unlearned'和'unlearnt'兩種過去式都存在，with 'unlearnt' more British'unlearnt'比較英式。Be careful, though不過要小心：the adjective 'unlearned'形容詞'unlearned'（often said un-LERN-id, three syllables常唸成un-LERN-id，三個音節）is a separate old word meaning 'having no education'是另一個古老的字，意思是「沒受過教育」，and it is not the past tense of this verb而不是這個動詞的過去式。

There is a famous line often quoted about it — that the illiterate of the future will be those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn. That trio, 'learn, unlearn, relearn', is how you will most often see the word in the wild.

There is a famous line often quoted about it有一句關於這個字常被引用的名言——that the illiterate of the future will be those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn說未來的文盲，會是那些不會learn學習、unlearn忘卻舊習、relearn重新學習的人。That trio, 'learn, unlearn, relearn''learn, unlearn, relearn'這三個字一組，is how you will most often see the word in the wild就是你在實際使用中最常看到這個字的樣子。