Conjugation table
Acquérir conjugation: acquiers, acquérons, acquis and acquerrai
Learn acquérir in seven tenses and moods, including acquérons, acquièrent, acquis and acquerrai, with skill-building examples, stem notes and a quiz.
- B1
- 7 tenses
- Auxiliary: avoir
- Learn this in the B1 notebook →
In short
Acquérir changes stems: j’acquiers, nous acquérons, ils acquièrent. Its participle is acquis, with avoir. The future is j’acquerrai, with two rs and no accent in the stem acquerr-. Use acquérir des compétences for gaining skills, not necessarily buying anything.
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Acquérir is irregular, so do not apply the finir pattern to its -ir ending. The present contrasts acquier-/acquièr- with acquér-. The imperfect keeps acquér-, while the future and conditional use acquerr-. Read these as a small set of related stems rather than trying to keep one unchanged infinitive base.
- Infinitive
- acquérir
- Past participle
- acquis
- Present participle
- acquérant
- Auxiliary
- avoir
PrésentSkills or knowledge gained through current activity.
| j’ | acquiers |
| tu | acquiers |
| il / elle / on | acquiert |
| nous | acquérons |
| vous | acquérez |
| ils / elles | acquièrent |
Nous acquérons de nouvelles compétences pendant ce stage.
We are acquiring new skills during this placement.
Passé composéKnowledge or experience already gained.
| j’ | ai acquis |
| tu | as acquis |
| il / elle / on | a acquis |
| nous | avons acquis |
| vous | avez acquis |
| ils / elles | ont acquis |
Elle a acquis une expérience utile dans cette association.
She gained useful experience in this association.
ImparfaitA developing acquisition in a past period.
| j’ | acquérais |
| tu | acquérais |
| il / elle / on | acquérait |
| nous | acquérions |
| vous | acquériez |
| ils / elles | acquéraient |
À chaque atelier, ils acquéraient un peu plus d’aisance.
At each workshop, they gained a little more confidence.
Futur simpleA future acquisition in the stated plan.
| j’ | acquerrai |
| tu | acquerras |
| il / elle / on | acquerra |
| nous | acquerrons |
| vous | acquerrez |
| ils / elles | acquerront |
Avec ce nouveau poste, tu acquerras une autre expérience du travail en équipe.
With this new job, you will gain a different experience of teamwork.
Conditionnel présentWhat would be gained under a condition.
| j’ | acquerrais |
| tu | acquerrais |
| il / elle / on | acquerrait |
| nous | acquerrions |
| vous | acquerriez |
| ils / elles | acquerraient |
Avec davantage de pratique, nous acquerrions plus d’aisance.
With more practice, we would gain more confidence.
Subjonctif présentAfter a trigger expressing an aim.
| j’ | acquière |
| tu | acquières |
| il / elle / on | acquière |
| nous | acquérions |
| vous | acquériez |
| ils / elles | acquièrent |
L’exercice est conçu pour que vous acquériez ce réflexe.
The exercise is designed so that you acquire this habit.
ImpératifA formal instruction or encouragement.
| (tu) | acquiers |
| (nous) | acquérons |
| (vous) | acquérez |
Acquérez d’abord les bases avant de choisir une spécialisation.
Acquire the basics first before choosing a specialism.
Track accent and consonant changes
| Forms | Spelling point |
|---|---|
| j’acquiers / ils acquièrent | The third-person plural uses è. |
| nous acquérons / vous acquérez | The plural present uses acquér-. |
| j’acquérais / nous acquérions | The imperfect keeps acquér-. |
| j’acquerrai / nous acquerrions | Future and conditional use acquerr-, without an accent and with rr. |
The subjunctive singular has acquière, acquières, acquière, but nous and vous use acquérions and acquériez. These match the imperfect nous/vous spelling, while their grammatical role comes from the sentence. In pour que vous acquériez, pour que supplies the subjunctive context.
Acquis is the participle
In elle a acquis une expérience, the object follows avoir and the participle stays acquis. With a feminine plural direct object placed before the verb, agreement can appear: les compétences qu’elle a acquises. That is the same participle family: acquis, acquise, acquis, acquises, according to the agreement required.
Les compétences qu’elle a acquises l’aident dans son nouveau poste.
The skills she acquired help her in her new job.
- Nous acquérissons de l’expérience.Nous acquérons de l’expérience.
Acquérir does not follow finir; its present nous form is acquérons.
- J’ai acquéri cette compétence.J’ai acquis cette compétence.
The irregular past participle is acquis.
- J’acquérirai de l’aisance.J’acquerrai de l’aisance.
The future uses acquerr-, with rr and no accent.
Practise with one skill rather than an abstract list: say how you acquire it now, how you acquired it before and how you expect to gain further experience. Keep the spelling changes visible as you move between present, participle and future.