学习 (xuéxí) is the general verb for 'to learn/study' — it emphasizes the process of gaining knowledge or skill through effort. It's broader than 学 (xué), which can also mean 'to imitate' and is often used in fixed phrases (学中文, 学开车). 学习 is more formal and typically used for systematic study (学习汉语, 学习历史).