I learned about it through a friend

[Aprendo]

Hi,

Quick question on: I learned about about it / of it through friend

such as a product, for example.

Lo aprendía atrevesa un amigo.


Is this correct and the best way?


TIA

[poli]

Lo aprendí de un amigo is probably the best direct translation. I'm not sure if you can use por in place of de. That would be the most direct translation, but it sounds wrong to me. A native speaker will he you here.

Consider saying un amigo me dijo instead. It sounds more Spanish to me.
Come to think about it, you can say lo supe de un amigo too.

You used the imperfect aprendía would translate as I used to learn it from..., and this usage is unusual.

[Rusty]

I learned about it through a friend.
I found out about it through a friend.

Me enteré a través de un amigo.

[Aprendo]

Thanks to both of you.

I noted the verb atrevesar in my question b/c I heard this verb used in the phrase in a commercial about fish oil on Telemundo or Univision.

Cheers

[Rusty]

Atrevesar isn't a verb.
I believe what you heard was 'a través de' (meaning 'through').

[Aprendo]

Originally Posted by Rusty

Atrevesar isn't a verb.
I believe what you heard was 'a través de' (meaning 'through').

Thanks for the clarification....yes, must have been a través de and I misunderstood it as they were talking quickly.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

I think it's more and more common in the USA to hear these two verbs "aprender" and "saber" being mixed up. It must be the influence of English on Spanish. However, "aprender" means to acquire the knowledge of something by means of studying or experiencing (like in "aprender un idioma", "aprendimos a armar los muebles de Ikea sin instructivo", "aprendí a ser papá cuando nacieron mis hijos"). When you talk about hearing some news, we normally use "saber", or as Rusty said, "enterarse". You may say:
- Lo supe por medio de un amigo.
- Lo supe por un amigo.
- Lo supe gracias a un amigo.
*"Lo supe de un amigo" may not be my immediate choice, but it's not a wrong sentence.

"A través de" is not a common construction in this case, but it will be understood in context: "Lo supe a través de un amigo".


Finally: There is the verb "atravesar", which is "pasar a través", but in this case it makes no sense; first, because there is already a conjugated verb "saber"/"enterarse", and second because in that case the friend wouldn't be the one who told me the news, because it would have passed through the friend as if they were a ghost, without making him a part of it. (Like an arrow passing through a piece of cloth.)
- Atravesamos la puerta para entrar en la casa.
- La carretera atraviesa toda la ciudad.

[poli]

Thank you for clarifying the use of por in this case, As always, your answers are comprehensive.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

@Poli: I forgot to add that in this case, "por" is a perfect synonym of "a través de".

[Aprendo]

Thanks, Angelica and Poli.