Some words are essential when traveling abroad or trying to communicate in a foreign linguistic communication, and 1 verb that you won't be able to live without in French-speaking countries is acheter. Whether you're grocery shopping, buying souvenirs or but chatting to friends, the acheter conjugation is bound to come up sooner or later.

Acheter Meaning

For in one case, there is no 2nd meaning of the verb: Acheter means "to buy". Enjoy this moment, because it's rare that a French verb is quite and so straightforward.

Pronunciation of Acheter

You will notice that sometimes the conjugated verb has an accent over the "eastward" and other times it doesn't.

The infinitive verb "acheter" doesn't have an accent. The pronunciation of the alphabetic character "east" in this case sounds like the "eastward" in "verb".

  • acheter: ah – shuh – tay

Certain forms of the verb have a grave emphasis over the "e". This transforms the sound to resemble that of the "e" in "shed".

  • achète/achètes/achètent: ah – shet

Acheter Conjugation in the Nowadays Tense (le présent)

The French language but has one present tense, which means y'all will utilise these conjugations whether you're speaking about something that's in the process of happening (the English language nowadays continuous) or if yous're talking about a regular activity, habit or fact (the English present simple).

J'achète

I buy

Tu achètes

Yous buy

Il/elle/on achète

He/she/it buys

Nous achetons

We buy

Vous achetez

You purchase (formal/plural)

Ils/elles achètent

They buy

  • Il achète du pain en rentrant à la maison – He buys bread on his style dwelling

  • Je suis au supermarché, j' achète les ingrédients pour faire un gâteau – I'thousand at the supermarket, I'm buying the ingredients to make a cake

  • Ils achètent de nouveaux habits tous les mois – They buy new clothes every month

Acheter Conjugation in the Imperfect Tense (l'imparfait)

J'achetais

I used to buy

Tu achetais

You lot used to purchase

Il/elle/on achetait

He/she/information technology used to purchase

Nous achetions

We used to purchase

Vous achetiez

You lot used to purchase (formal/plural)

Ils/elles achetaient

They used to buy

  • Tu k' achetais des cadeaux plus souvent au début de notre couple – You used to buy me gifts more ofttimes at the start of our relationship

  • Quand j'étais petit, nous allions à la boulangerie et nous achetions des viennoiseries – When I was immature, we used to become to the baker, and nosotros used to purchase pastries

  • Vous achetiez la nourriture tandis que nous fournissions le divertissement – You used to buy the food while we used to provide the amusement

Acheter Conjugation in Passé Composé

Acheté in English means bought, in the past tense. Information technology's the by participle and can exist used with French composed tenses such as the present perfect and the pluperfect.

J'ai acheté

I bought

Tu every bit acheté

You lot bought

Il/elle/on a acheté

He/she/information technology bought

Nous avons acheté

Nosotros bought

Vous avez acheté

You bought (formal/plural)

Ils/elles ont acheté

They bought

  • J'ai acheté trois bouteilles d'eau pour la randonnée – I bought three bottles of water for the hike

  • Elle a acheté tout ce qu'il faut cascade fêter son anniversaire – She bought everything we demand to celebrate her birthday

  • Ils ont acheté une maison au-dessus du prix du marché – They bought a house above the market price

Acheter Conjugation in Futur Simple

J'achèterai

I will buy

Tu achèteras

You will buy

Il/elle/on achètera

He/she/it will buy

Nous achèterons

We will buy

Vous achèterez

You will purchase (formal/plural)

Ils/elles achèteront

They volition purchase

  • Tu achèteras les meubles et je te rembourserai la moitie – You'll buy the piece of furniture, and I'll pay you back one-half

  • Il achètera un appartement quand il aura assez d'argent – He'll purchase an apartment when he has plenty money

  • Nous achèterons une maison dans les Alpes un jour – We'll buy a house in the Alps i day

Acheter Conjugation in the Nearly Future (le futur proche)

Je vais acheter

I am going to buy

Tu vas acheter

You are going to buy

Il/elle/on va acheter

He/she/it is going to buy

Nous allons acheter

Nosotros are going to purchase

Vous allez acheter

You lot are going to purchase (formal/plural)

Ils/elles vont acheter

They are going to buy

  • Je vais acheter un agenda pour noter mes rendez-vous – I'thousand going to buy a diary to notation down my appointments

  • Elle va acheter une télévision pour mettre dans sa chambre – She'southward going to buy a Boob tube to put in her bedroom

  • Vous allez acheter un sapin naturel ou artificiel ? – Are yous going to buy a real or fake Christmas tree?

Acheter Conjugation in the Plus-que-parfait (pluperfect tense)

The pluperfect tense is used to talk about an action that took identify before another activeness in the past tense. Information technology therefore has to exist paired with some other by tense, either the present perfect or the imperfect, to bear witness which action occurred beginning.

J'avais acheté

I had bought

Tu avais acheté

You lot had bought

Il/elle/on avait acheté

He/she/information technology had bought

Nous avions acheté

We had bought

Vous aviez acheté

You had bought (formal/plural)

Ils/elles avaient acheté

They had bought

  • Il voulait de la bière mais j'avais déjà acheté du vin – He wanted beer, but I had already bought wine

  • Nous avions déjà acheté notre maison quand notre fille est née – We had already bought our business firm when our daughter was built-in

  • Elles avaient acheté des billets avant de connaître le jour du spectacle – They bought tickets before knowing the date of the testify

Acheter Conjugation in the Conditional Present

The conditional present is used, you guessed it, when something would only happen on the status of something else happening start. It is oftentimes used to limited wishes and hypothetical situations, and is usually paired with "si", meaning if, equally well every bit the imperfect tense.

J'achèterais

I would buy

Tu achèterais

You would buy

Il/elle/on achèterait

He/she/it would buy

Nous achèterions

We would purchase

Vous achèteriez

Yous would buy (formal/plural)

Ils/elles achèteraient

They would buy

  • Si je gagnais au loto, j' achèterais une île paradisiaque – If I won the lottery, I would purchase a paradise isle

  • Qu'est-ce que tu achèterais si tu étais à ma place ? – What would y'all purchase if you were in my shoes?

  • Ils achèteraient des bonbons southward'ils ne faisaient pas de régime – They would buy candy if they weren't on a diet

Acheter Conjugation in the Subjunctive Mood (le subjonctif)

The subjunctive mood is used in specific situations, but i thing you should know is that information technology is e'er introduced by the give-and-take "que". Frequently when you have a feeling or doubt followed by the give-and-take "que", we employ the subjunctive course of the verb.

que j'achète

that I purchase

que tu achètes

that y'all purchase

qu'il/elle/on achète

that he/she/it buys

que nous achetions

that we buy

que vous achetiez

that yous buy (formal/plural)

qu'ils/elles achètent

that they buy

  • Il faut que nous achetions plus de couverts avant d'inviter des gens – We need to buy more cutlery before we invite people over

  • Je veux qu'il achète ses propres fournitures de agency – I desire him to buy his own office supplies

  • Leur mère refuse qu'elles achètent autant de maquillage – Their mother refuses to let them buy then much makeup

Useful Phrases That Employ the Acheter Conjugation

Sometimes it'southward useful to have a few key phrases stored in your mind'due south language bank. When talking well-nigh coin and purchases, these terms might assistance you to empathise what is existence said, and you lot can utilise them to show off your skills beyond the basic conjugations.

  • Acheter en gros – To buy in majority

Buying things in big quantities ways paying more coin outright, just helps you lot to save coin in the long run. Stores buy from suppliers in majority, but you could too use this to talk about stocking upwards on goods at home.

  • Acheter à crédit – To buy on credit

This could come in handy when making larger purchases, for example, a car or other expensive item. If you tin't afford to pay outright, and so you can always acheter à crédit.

  • Acheter comptant / acheter au comptant – To buy with cash or pay outright

The opposite to buying on credit is ownership for cash, or buying something outright. This is the example for all purchases that don't crave a loan, but it is mainly used when talking about large purchases such as real estate and cars, to show that you take the coin ready and don't require a mortgage or any other financial assistance.

  • Acheter en liquide – To pay in cash

Different "acheter comptant", it isn't used to limited that you accept the resources to pay for something, instead it is more literal. "Acheter en liquide" is used when paying for something with greenbacks rather than with a credit card or other payment method. Liquide is a synonym of espèces, significant bills and coins.

  • Acheter en solde – To buy at sale toll

Whether you lot honey rummaging through the racks searching for a bargain, or the thought of visiting a packed store during sales periods is your worst nightmare, one thing nosotros can all agree on is that sales equal savings! If you want to buy things at reduced prices in Francophone countries, then you need to acheter en solde, or go shopping during "les soldes", the twice-yearly French sales.

Acheter Expressions

Some expressions are the same in English and in French and can be translated literally, such as "to purchase someone'due south silence" and "to buy fourth dimension". Nevertheless, there are a few additional expressions that utilize the acheter conjugation which French learners of all levels could find interesting.

1. Mieux vaut acheter qu'emprunter – Meliorate to purchase than infringe

French proverb, often used to talk almost buying rather than renting accomodation.

Literal translation: It'd be better to buy than to infringe

  • L'appartement va coûter cher au début, mais mieux vaut acheter qu'emprunter – The flat will exist expensive at showtime, only it'southward amend to purchase than borrow

two. Southward'acheter une conduite – To turn over a new leaf

Literal translation: To purchase oneself a conduct/beliefs

  • Je suis plus responsable maintenant, je me suis acheter une conduite – I'm more than responsible now, I've turned over a new leaf

three. Acheter à prix d'or – To pay a fortune for

Literal translation: To buy at the price of gold

  • Je ne comprendrai jamais les gens qui achètent des vêtements simples à prix d'or – I'll never sympathise people who pay a fortune for basic apparel

Payer vs. Acheter

Every bit a general rule, payer ways "to pay" rather than "to buy". That said, "buy" is synonymous with "pay for" which tin can pb to some defoliation. In French, if somebody says they will pay you something, it means they will buy it for you. Unless it'south your employer speaking, you can presume that the person is not offering to pay you money, but instead pay for something.

  • J'ai oublié mon porte-monnaie dans la voiture, tu peux me payer mon café ? – I left my wallet in the car, can you buy my coffee for me?

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