French · Everyday Verbs
"to buy" in French: acheter
acheter
To buy in French is acheter. Say j'achète and tu achètes. Past is j'ai acheté. Use acheter quelque chose à quelqu'un for buying from someone.
Market
J'achète des tomates chez le maraîcher.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce acheter
Say it
ash-TAY
/aʃ.te/
ash-TAY. Soft ch; stress on TAY. J'achète is zhah-SHET.
"to buy" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| acheter | to buy Infinitive. | Infinitive. |
| j'achète / tu achètes | I buy / you buy Present. | Present. |
| j'ai acheté | I bought Past. | Past. |
| acheter en ligne | to buy online E-commerce. | E-commerce. |
How to use acheter in real life
- 1Market
J'achète des tomates chez le maraîcher.
I'm buying tomatoes from the grower.
J'achète.
- 2Phone shop
Tu achètes le forfait aujourd'hui ?
Are you buying the plan today?
Tu achètes.
- 3Receipt check
J'ai acheté ça hier en soldes.
I bought this yesterday on sale.
J'ai acheté.
Mistakes English speakers make with acheter
Incorrect: Je acheter un livre.
Correct: J'achète un livre.
Conjugate and elide: j'achète.
Incorrect: J'ai acheté à le marché.
Correct: J'ai acheté au marché.
À + le → au.
Good to know
Acheter is the default shop verb; prendre can mean order/take at a counter. Soldes seasons make j'ai acheté a badge of honor. Online carts say acheter now everywhere.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Quick grocery run
ChatPal
Tu achètes du pain ?
Are you buying bread?
You
Oui, j'achète une baguette.
Yes, I'm buying a baguette.
ChatPal
Achète aussi du beurre, s'il te plaît.
Buy butter too, please.
You
Ok, je passe à la caisse.
Okay, I'm heading to the till.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"to buy" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to buy" in French
How do you say to buy?
Acheter.
How do I say I buy / I'm buying?
J'achète…
What is the past?
J'ai acheté.
How do you pronounce acheter?
ash-TAY; j'achète is zhah-SHET.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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