acquérir
The French verb “acquérir” is an important verb that means “to acquire,” “to obtain,” or “to gain.” It has an unusual conjugation for an -ir verb, both in the present and in the passé composé.
Meanings of “Acquérir”
- To acquire or obtain – used when gaining something concrete or abstract.
- Il a acquis une maison en Provence. (He acquired a house in Provence.)
- J’ai acquis de l’expérience dans ce domaine. (I have gained experience in this field.)
- To develop or gain a skill, knowledge, or habit
- Il a acquis une grande sagesse avec le temps. (He has acquired great wisdom over time.)
- Nous voulons acquérir une nouvelle langue. (We want to acquire a new language.)
- To earn or win (figuratively)
- Cet écrivain a acquis une grande renommée. (This writer has gained great renown.)
Conjugation of “Acquérir”
“Acquérir” is an irregular verb, which means its conjugation does not follow standard patterns. Below are its forms in the present and passé composé tenses.
Present Tense (Présent)
| Person | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| J’ | acquiers |
| Tu | acquiers |
| Il/Elle/On | acquiert |
| Nous | acquérons |
| Vous | acquérez |
| Ils/Elles | acquièrent |
Examples:
- J’acquiers de nouvelles compétences chaque jour. (I acquire new skills every day.)
- Ils acquièrent une grande expérience dans ce travail. (They are gaining great experience in this job.)
Passé Composé (Past Tense)
The passé composé of “acquérir” is formed using the auxiliary verb “avoir” followed by the past participle “acquis.”
| Person | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| J’ | ai acquis |
| Tu | as acquis |
| Il/Elle/On | a acquis |
| Nous | avons acquis |
| Vous | avez acquis |
| Ils/Elles | ont acquis |
Examples:
- J’ai acquis une nouvelle voiture. (I acquired a new car.)
- Nous avons acquis beaucoup de connaissances grâce à nos voyages. (We have gained a lot of knowledge thanks to our travels.)
Etymology of “Acquérir”
The verb “acquérir” comes from the Latin verb “acquirere” (meaning “to acquire, to gain, to get”), which itself is formed from “ad” (towards) and “quaerere” (to seek, to ask for). This Latin root also gave rise to English words like “acquire.”
Over time, the word evolved in Old French as “acquerre” before becoming “acquérir” in modern French.
Common Expressions with “Acquérir”
- Acquérir de l’expérience – To gain experience
- Il veut acquérir de l’expérience avant de changer de travail. (He wants to gain experience before changing jobs.)
- Acquérir un bien immobilier – To acquire real estate
- Ils ont acquis un appartement à Paris. (They acquired an apartment in Paris.)
- Acquérir la nationalité – To acquire nationality
- Il a acquis la nationalité française après dix ans. (He acquired French nationality after ten years.)
