adquirir
verbCEFR B2
What does “adquirir” mean in English?
1.to acquire, to obtain
to acquire, to obtain (formal: knowledge, skills, assets — adquirir + noun)
2.to acquire, to purchase
to acquire, to purchase (adquirir + noun — formal acquisition of assets, skills, or status; yo adquiero)
Example sentences
Durante la estancia en el extranjero, adquirió una fluidez en el idioma que habría tardado años en lograr en casa.
During the stay abroad, she acquired a fluency in the language that would have taken years to achieve at home.
El grupo inversor adquirió una participación mayoritaria en la empresa por ciento veinte millones de euros.
The investment group acquired a majority stake in the company for 120 million euros.
Adquirir buenos hábitos de estudio en la infancia facilita enormemente el aprendizaje a lo largo de toda la vida.
Acquiring good study habits in childhood greatly facilitates learning throughout life.
How to use it
Adquirir means 'to acquire', 'to obtain', or 'to gain'. At B2, it appears most frequently in formal and academic contexts: adquirir conocimientos/habilidades (acquire knowledge/skills), adquirir experiencia (gain experience), or in economic register: la empresa adquirió otra compañía (the company acquired another company). It is irregular: yo adquiero, él adquiere (note the -ie- diphthong in stressed syllables). Don't confuse with comprar (a simple purchase transaction) — adquirir implies more deliberate or formal acquisition.
Common mistake
The stem change in the present tense catches learners: adquiero, adquieres, adquiere, adquirimos, adquirís, adquieren (the stressed syllable triggers -ie-). Don't write *adquiro. Also: in everyday speech, obtener or conseguir often replace adquirir — adquirir is the formal register choice for academic, legal, and business contexts.