Adquirir Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb adquirir means to acquire, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Adquirir is a formal verb for acquiring something: a house, a skill, a habit, experience. Its present is irregular — adquiero, adquieres, adquiere — with the i becoming ie in the stressed forms. Like every Spanish verb, adquirir changes its ending for each person and tense, and this page gives you the complete picture: every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle, all from the verified conjugation tables. For example, in the present tense you say Yo adquiero una casa en el campo — "I acquire a house in the country". Work through the tables below, read the notes for each tense, and then test yourself with the examples, the common mistakes and the quiz at the end of the page.

The stem vowel changes in the stressed forms of the present: adquiero, adquieres, adquiere and adquieren — but nosotros and vosotros keep the plain stem: adquirimos, adquirís. In the preterite the third-person forms change too: adquirió, adquirieron, and the gerund is adquiriendo.

Quick facts

  • Infinitive: adquirir
  • English: to acquire
  • Verb type: stem-changing -ir verb (i → ie)
  • Ending: -ir
  • Gerund: adquiriendo
  • Past participle: adquirido
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + adquirido)

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for adquirir, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for adquirir. The imperfect subjunctive is shown in its -ra forms; the -se forms use the same stem.

Present indicative

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | adquiero | | tú | adquieres | | él/ella/Ud. | adquiere | | nosotros/as | adquirimos | | vosotros/as | adquirís | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | adquieren |

Preterite

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | adquirí | | tú | adquiriste | | él/ella/Ud. | adquirió | | nosotros/as | adquirimos | | vosotros/as | adquiristeis | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | adquirieron |

Imperfect

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | adquiría | | tú | adquirías | | él/ella/Ud. | adquiría | | nosotros/as | adquiríamos | | vosotros/as | adquiríais | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | adquirían |

Future

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | adquiriré | | tú | adquirirás | | él/ella/Ud. | adquirirá | | nosotros/as | adquiriremos | | vosotros/as | adquiriréis | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | adquirirán |

Conditional

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | adquiriría | | tú | adquirirías | | él/ella/Ud. | adquiriría | | nosotros/as | adquiriríamos | | vosotros/as | adquiriríais | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | adquirirían |

Present perfect

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | he adquirido | | tú | has adquirido | | él/ella/Ud. | ha adquirido | | nosotros/as | hemos adquirido | | vosotros/as | habéis adquirido | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | han adquirido |

Pluperfect

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | había adquirido | | tú | habías adquirido | | él/ella/Ud. | había adquirido | | nosotros/as | habíamos adquirido | | vosotros/as | habíais adquirido | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían adquirido |

Future perfect

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | habré adquirido | | tú | habrás adquirido | | él/ella/Ud. | habrá adquirido | | nosotros/as | habremos adquirido | | vosotros/as | habréis adquirido | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán adquirido |

Conditional perfect

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | habría adquirido | | tú | habrías adquirido | | él/ella/Ud. | habría adquirido | | nosotros/as | habríamos adquirido | | vosotros/as | habríais adquirido | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían adquirido |

Present subjunctive

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | adquiera | | tú | adquieras | | él/ella/Ud. | adquiera | | nosotros/as | adquiramos | | vosotros/as | adquiráis | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | adquieran |

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | adquiriera | | tú | adquirieras | | él/ella/Ud. | adquiriera | | nosotros/as | adquiriéramos | | vosotros/as | adquirierais | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | adquirieran |

Imperative (affirmative)

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | tú | adquiere | | él/ella/Ud. | adquiera | | nosotros/as | adquiramos | | vosotros/as | adquirid | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | adquieran |

Imperative (negative)

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | tú | adquieras | | él/ella/Ud. | adquiera | | nosotros/as | adquiramos | | vosotros/as | adquiráis | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | adquieran |

Gerund and past participle

Form Spanish Use
Gerund adquiriendo with estar for the progressive: está adquiriendo
Past participle adquirido with haber for the perfect tenses: he adquirido

How to use each tense

Present indicative

Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. The stem vowel changes in the stressed forms of the present: adquiero, adquieres, adquiere and adquieren — but nosotros and vosotros keep the plain stem: adquirimos, adquirís. In the preterite the third-person forms change too: adquirió, adquirieron, and the gerund is adquiriendo. For adquirir, the present indicative looks like this in a real sentence: Yo adquiero una casa en el campo — "I acquire a house in the country".

Preterite

Use the preterite for finished actions with a clear end, often with ayer, el año pasado or anoche. In this tense the stem changes in the third person: adquirió, adquirieron. The gerund changes too: adquiriendo. For adquirir, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, yo adquirí nuevas habilidades en el curso — "Yesterday, I acquired new skills on the course".

Imperfect

Use the imperfect for background, habits and actions in progress in the past, often with de niño, antes or mientras. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For adquirir, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, yo adquiría el hábito de leer — "As a child, I used to acquire the habit of reading".

Future

Use the future for plans, predictions and promises, often with mañana, el año que viene or pronto. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For adquirir, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, yo adquiriré una empresa pequeña — "Tomorrow, I will acquire a small company".

Conditional

Use the conditional for polite requests, hypotheticals and what would happen, often with si clauses. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For adquirir, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Yo adquiriría una casa en el campo si pudiera — "I would acquire a house in the country if I could".

Present perfect

Use the present perfect for recent actions and experiences, often with hoy, esta semana or ya. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For adquirir, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, yo he adquirido nuevas habilidades en el curso — "Today, I have acquired new skills on the course".

Pluperfect

Use the pluperfect when one past action happened before another past action. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For adquirir, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo ya había adquirido el hábito de leer antes de salir — "I already had acquired the habit of reading before leaving".

Future perfect

Use the future perfect for something that will already be finished by a future time. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For adquirir, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, yo habré adquirido una empresa pequeña — "By tomorrow, I will have acquired a small company".

Conditional perfect

Use the conditional perfect for what would have happened under different conditions. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For adquirir, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo habría adquirido una casa en el campo con más tiempo — "I would have acquired a house in the country with more time".

Present subjunctive

Use the present subjunctive after expressions of wish, doubt, emotion and hope, such as espero que or quiero que. The stem vowel changes in the stressed forms of the present: adquiero, adquieres, adquiere and adquieren — but nosotros and vosotros keep the plain stem: adquirimos, adquirís. In the preterite the third-person forms change too: adquirió, adquirieron, and the gerund is adquiriendo. For adquirir, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él adquiera nuevas habilidades en el curso — "I hope he acquires new skills on the course".

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Use the imperfect subjunctive after past wishes and in si clauses about the past. The -ra forms are shown here; the -se forms use the same stem. For this verb the tense is irregular — see the table above. For adquirir, the imperfect subjunctive (-ra) looks like this in a real sentence: Si yo adquiriera el hábito de leer, todo cambiaría — "If I acquired the habit of reading, everything would change".

Imperative (affirmative)

Use the affirmative imperative for direct commands, instructions and invitations. The stem vowel changes in the stressed forms of the present: adquiero, adquieres, adquiere and adquieren — but nosotros and vosotros keep the plain stem: adquirimos, adquirís. In the preterite the third-person forms change too: adquirió, adquirieron, and the gerund is adquiriendo. For adquirir, the imperative (affirmative) looks like this in a real sentence: Adquiere una empresa pequeña. — "Acquire a small company.".

Imperative (negative)

Use the negative imperative, always with no, to tell someone not to do something. The stem vowel changes in the stressed forms of the present: adquiero, adquieres, adquiere and adquieren — but nosotros and vosotros keep the plain stem: adquirimos, adquirís. In the preterite the third-person forms change too: adquirió, adquirieron, and the gerund is adquiriendo. For adquirir, the imperative (negative) looks like this in a real sentence: No adquieras una casa en el campo. — "Do not acquire a house in the country.".

Example sentences

Ten natural sentences with adquirir, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Yo adquiero una casa en el campo — "I acquire a house in the country"
  2. Mi amigo adquiere nuevas habilidades en el curso — "My friend acquires new skills on the course"
  3. Ayer, yo adquirí el hábito de leer — "Yesterday, I acquired the habit of reading"
  4. Antes, nosotros adquiríamos una empresa pequeña — "Before, we used to acquire a small company"
  5. Mañana, tú adquirirás experiencia en el extranjero — "Tomorrow, you will acquire experience abroad"
  6. Yo adquiriría una casa en el campo si tuviera más tiempo — "I would acquire a house in the country if I had more time"
  7. Él ha adquirido nuevas habilidades en el curso — "He has acquired new skills on the course"
  8. Espero que él adquiera el hábito de leer — "I hope he acquires the habit of reading"
  9. Yo ya había adquirido una empresa pequeña antes de salir — "I already had acquired a small company before leaving"
  10. Ellos adquirían experiencia en el extranjero cuando eran jóvenes — "They used to acquire experience abroad when they were young"

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo adquiro nuevas habilidades en el curso. — Right: Yo adquiero nuevas habilidades en el curso. — adquirir is a stem-changing verb (i → ie): the stem vowel changes in the stressed present forms, so the yo form is adquiero, not adquiro.
  2. Wrong: Espero que él adquiere nuevas habilidades en el curso — Right: Espero que él adquiera nuevas habilidades en el curso — After espero que, Spanish requires the subjunctive: Espero que él adquiera nuevas habilidades en el curso — not the indicative Espero que él adquiere nuevas habilidades en el curso.
  3. Wrong: Ayer, yo adquiero el hábito de leer — Right: Ayer, yo adquirí el hábito de leer — Ayer points to a finished action in the past, so it needs the preterite: Ayer, yo adquirí el hábito de leer.
  4. Wrong: De niño, yo adquirí una empresa pequeña todos los días — Right: De niño, yo adquiría una empresa pequeña todos los días — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect, not the preterite: De niño, yo adquiría una empresa pequeña todos los días.
  5. Wrong: Yo adquiero en una casa en el campo. — Right: Yo adquiero una casa en el campo. — adquirir takes this complement directly, with no preposition: Yo adquiero una casa en el campo.

Quiz: test yourself

Ten questions on adquirir. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ una casa en el campo — "I acquire a house in the country" (present) A. adquieres B. adquiere C. adquirimos D. adquiero

  2. Complete the sentence: Él ______ nuevas habilidades en el curso — "He acquired new skills on the course" (preterite) A. adquirimos B. adquirió C. adquirí D. adquiriste

  3. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ______ el hábito de leer — "We used to acquire the habit of reading" (imperfect) A. adquiría B. adquirías C. adquiríais D. adquiríamos

  4. Complete the sentence: Tú ______ una empresa pequeña — "You will acquire a small company" (future) A. adquirirás B. adquiriré C. adquirirá D. adquiriremos

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ experiencia en el extranjero — "I would acquire experience abroad" (conditional) A. adquiriríamos B. adquiriríais C. adquiriría D. adquirirías

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ______ una casa en el campo — "I hope he acquires a house in the country" (present subjunctive) A. adquieras B. adquiramos C. adquiráis D. adquiera

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ______ nuevas habilidades en el curso, todo cambiaría — "If I acquired new skills on the course, everything would change" (imperfect subjunctive) A. adquirierais B. adquiriera C. adquirieras D. adquiriéramos

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ______ el hábito de leer — "We have acquired the habit of reading" (present perfect) A. hemos adquirido B. he adquirido C. has adquirido D. ha adquirido

  9. Complete the sentence: No ______ una empresa pequeña. — "Do not acquire a small company." (negative imperative) A. adquieras B. adquiera C. adquiramos D. adquiráis

  10. Which is the gerund of adquirir, used with estar for the progressive? A. adquirí B. adquiriendo C. adquirido D. adquiero

Answer key

  1. adquiero — The present form for yo is adquiero.
  2. adquirió — The preterite form for él/ella/Ud. is adquirió.
  3. adquiríamos — The imperfect form for nosotros/as is adquiríamos.
  4. adquirirás — The future form for tú is adquirirás.
  5. adquiriría — The conditional form for yo is adquiriría.
  6. adquiera — The present subjunctive form for él/ella/Ud. is adquiera.
  7. adquiriera — The imperfect subjunctive form for yo is adquiriera.
  8. hemos adquirido — The present perfect form for nosotros/as is hemos adquirido.
  9. adquieras — The negative imperative form is adquieras.
  10. adquiriendo — The gerund of adquirir is adquiriendo: estoy adquiriendo. The participle adquirido is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does adquirir mean in English?

adquirir means to acquire. It is used in everyday situations such as Yo adquiero una casa en el campo — "I acquire a house in the country". The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is adquirir regular?

No. adquirir is a stem-changing -ir verb (i → ie). The stem vowel changes in the stressed forms of the present: adquiero, adquieres, adquiere and adquieren — but nosotros and vosotros keep the plain stem: adquirimos, adquirís. In the preterite the third-person forms change too: adquirió, adquirieron, and the gerund is adquiriendo. The nosotros and vosotros forms keep the plain stem, which is the part learners most often get right by accident.

What is the gerund and the past participle of adquirir?

The gerund is adquiriendo and the past participle is adquirido. Use the gerund with estar for the progressive, and the participle with haber for the perfect tenses.

How do I say "I acquire" in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: Ayer, yo adquirí nuevas habilidades en el curso — "Yesterday, I acquired new skills on the course". For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: De niño, yo adquiría el hábito de leer — "As a child, I used to acquire the habit of reading". For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: Hoy, yo he adquirido nuevas habilidades en el curso — "Today, I have acquired new skills on the course".

What is the difference between adquirir and comprar?

Comprar is simply to buy something. Adquirir is wider and more formal: you adquieres skills, habits and experience, not just things you pay for. Adquirir is a formal verb for acquiring something: a house, a skill, a habit, experience. Its present is irregular — adquiero, adquieres, adquiere — with the i becoming ie in the stressed forms.

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