Acheter is undoubtedly the most common way to say “to buy” in French. But just like in English, there are many other verbs and expressions you can use to talk about acquiring something, each with its own subtle nuance. As you navigate the shops, markets, and online stores of the French-speaking world, you’ll find yourself needing to buy things constantly! So, why not expand your vocabulary beyond just 'acheter'? Let’s explore 9 fantastic alternatives to say “to buy” in French and make your conversations about shopping much more dynamic!

The standard 'to buy' – acheter

The standard 'to buy' – acheter

Acheter is the most common and fundamental French verb for 'to buy' or 'to purchase'.

While seemingly regular, acheter is an irregular -er verb, specifically in how its stem changes in certain conjugations. When the ending is a silent 'e' (e.g., je achète, tu achètes, il/elle/on achète, ils/elles achètent), the 'e' before the 't' takes a grave accent (è). For nous and vous forms (nous achetons, vous achetez), the accent remains acute or disappears.

Here's how acheter is conjugated in the present tense, highlighting the accent change: j'achète (I buy), tu achètes (You buy), il/elle/on achète (He/She/One buys), nous achetons (We buy), vous achetez (You buy), ils/elles achètent (They buy).

You'll use acheter for virtually any act of purchasing, from groceries and clothes to houses and services. It's suitable for all contexts, formal or informal.

Acheter is a transitive verb, meaning it generally takes a direct object. You buy something directly. For example, J'achète du pain (I buy bread).

If you're buying something for someone, you use the construction acheter quelque chose à quelqu'un (to buy something for someone). For instance, J'achète un cadeau à ma mère (I buy a gift for my mother).

💡 * J'achète une nouvelle voiture. (I'm buying a new car.)

• Nous achetons des légumes au marché. (We buy vegetables at the market.)
• Elle a acheté une maison l'année dernière. (She bought a house last year.)
• Qu'est-ce que tu achètes pour ton anniversaire ? (What are you buying for your birthday?)
• Ils achètent toujours leurs billets en ligne. (They always buy their tickets online.)

To make purchases, to go shopping – faire des achats

When you want to express the idea of “to make purchases” or “to go shopping” in French, the most common and versatile phrase you’ll encounter is faire des achats.

Literally, faire means “to do” or “to make”, and achats is the plural noun for “purchases”. So, the phrase directly translates to “to make purchases”.

This phrase is broadly used for general shopping, whether you’re buying clothes, gifts, electronics, or other non-food items. It implies the act of going out and acquiring things.

While acheter simply means “to buy” a specific item, faire des achats refers to the overall activity of shopping. Think of it as “doing some buying” or “going on a shopping trip”.

It’s important to distinguish faire des achats from faire les courses. Faire les courses is specifically used for grocery shopping or running errands, whereas faire des achats is for more general consumer goods.

Note that achats is almost always used in the plural form when referring to the general act of shopping. You will typically see des achats rather than un achat in this context, unless referring to a single, specific purchase.

💡 * Nous allons faire des achats cet après-midi. (We are going to go shopping this afternoon.)

• J'adore faire des achats pendant les soldes. (I love to go shopping during the sales.)
• Elle a fait beaucoup d'achats pour son nouvel appartement. (She made a lot of purchases for her new apartment.)
• Où peux-tu faire des achats ici ? (Where can you go shopping here?)
• Il faut que je fasse des achats avant de partir. (I need to do some shopping before leaving.)

To acquire (often formally) – acquérir

The French verb acquérir translates directly to "to acquire" in English. It's a versatile verb often used in more formal contexts than acheter (to buy), encompassing a broader range of meanings from gaining possession to obtaining knowledge or status.

Be aware that acquérir is an irregular verb, especially in the present tense, and its conjugation can be tricky. It belongs to the same group as verbs like conquérir (to conquer) and requérir (to require).

You can use acquérir when talking about gaining ownership of tangible items, such as property, land, or even a new car. For instance, acquérir un bien immobilier means to acquire real estate.

Beyond physical objects, acquérir is commonly used to describe the process of obtaining knowledge, skills, or experience. Acquérir des compétences means to acquire skills, and acquérir de l'expérience means to gain experience.

The verb also extends to more abstract concepts, such as acquiring a reputation, status, or even a habit. Acquérir une bonne réputation means to acquire a good reputation.

While acheter is the common verb for 'to buy' in everyday situations, acquérir carries a more formal tone and implies a broader sense of obtaining or coming into possession, often through effort or a formal process.

In summary, acquérir is your go-to verb for "to acquire" in French, particularly when the context is formal, involves significant possessions, or pertains to gaining knowledge, skills, or abstract qualities. Remember its irregular conjugation!

💡 * Il a acquis une nouvelle voiture. (He acquired a new car.)* Elle a acquis beaucoup de connaissances pendant ses études. (She acquired a lot of knowledge during her studies.)* L'entreprise a acquis un concurrent. (The company acquired a competitor.)* Ils ont acquis une bonne réputation. (They acquired a good reputation.)* Nous allons acquérir cette propriété l'année prochaine. (We are going to acquire this property next year.)

To obtain, to get hold of – se procurer

The verb se procurer translates to 'to obtain,' 'to get hold of,' or 'to acquire' in English. It implies a certain effort or active seeking to get something.

As a pronominal verb (indicated by the 'se'), it always requires a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous, se) that agrees with the subject. This often emphasizes that the action is done for oneself or by oneself.

While similar to obtenir (to obtain) or trouver (to find), se procurer often suggests a more active or deliberate effort to get something, especially if it's rare, difficult to find, or requires special arrangements. Think of it as 'managing to get' or 'sourcing'.

It's frequently used when talking about acquiring documents, tickets, supplies, or anything that might require a bit of searching or specific steps to obtain. For example, 'to get tickets' or 'to procure supplies'.

💡 * Je dois me procurer des billets pour le concert. (I need to get tickets for the concert.)

• Elle a réussi à se procurer le livre rare. (She managed to obtain the rare book.)
• Nous allons nous procurer les informations nécessaires. (We are going to get the necessary information.)
• Où peut-on se procurer ce type de matériel ? (Where can one obtain this type of material?)

To pay for (implying a purchase) – payer

The verb payer is the most common and versatile way to express “to pay for” in French, particularly when referring to a purchase or a bill.

Payer directly translates to “to pay” or “to pay for.” It’s a regular -ER verb, making its conjugations straightforward once you know the pattern.

When you pay for an item or service, the item or service usually acts as the direct object of payer. For example, payer quelque chose (to pay for something).

If you are paying someone, you would use payer à quelqu'un (to pay to someone), although often the direct object (the amount or item) is implied or stated separately. For instance, Je te paie (I'll pay you) or Je paie le vendeur (I pay the seller).

Payer is specifically used when you are settling a financial obligation, whether it's buying groceries, paying a restaurant bill (l'addition), or covering rent (le loyer).

You'll frequently hear payer l'addition (to pay the bill), payer en espèces (to pay in cash), or payer par carte (to pay by card), highlighting its role in everyday transactions.

💡 * Je vais payer le café. (I'm going to pay for the coffee.)

• Tu as payé tes dettes ? (Did you pay your debts?)
• Il faut payer l'addition. (We need to pay the bill.)
• Elle a payé le loyer hier. (She paid the rent yesterday.)
• Nous allons payer nos vacances. (We are going to pay for our vacation.)

To do some casual shopping/run errands – faire des emplettes

When you want to express the idea of doing some casual shopping or running errands in French, the most idiomatic phrase is faire des emplettes. This common expression literally translates to 'to do some small purchases' but conveys a broader sense of necessary, often quick, shopping.

Unlike faire les magasins (to go shopping for pleasure, e.g., clothes) or faire du shopping (a more general, often leisure-oriented term), faire des emplettes specifically refers to buying everyday necessities. Think groceries, pharmacy items, or other small household goods – tasks you 'run errands' for.

The verb faire (to do/make) is conjugated according to the subject, while des emplettes remains fixed. Emplettes is always plural and feminine. For example, 'I am running errands' becomes Je fais des emplettes.

This phrase is perfect for when you need to pop into a few shops for specific items, rather than browsing. It highlights the practical, less glamorous side of shopping, often implying efficiency and purpose.

💡 * Je dois faire des emplettes cet après-midi. (I need to run some errands this afternoon.)

• Elle est allée faire des emplettes au marché. (She went to do some shopping at the market.)
• Faisons vite des emplettes avant le dîner. (Let's quickly do some small purchases before dinner.)
• Tu as des emplettes à faire ? (Do you have any errands to run?)

To treat oneself to – s'offrir

The verb s'offrir is a reflexive verb in French, which literally means "to offer oneself." It's formed from the verb offrir (to offer) and the reflexive pronoun se.

When used reflexively, s'offrir translates to "to treat oneself to" or "to buy oneself." It implies giving something to oneself, often as a reward or a personal pleasure. It always takes a direct object, which is the item or experience one is treating oneself to.

You'll frequently use s'offrir when talking about purchasing something special for yourself, like a new item, a trip, or a meal out. It conveys a sense of self-indulgence or celebration, distinguishing it from simply acheter (to buy).

💡 * Elle s'est offert un nouveau sac. (She treated herself to a new bag.)

• Nous allons nous offrir un week-end à Paris. (We are going to treat ourselves to a weekend in Paris.)
• Pour son anniversaire, il s'est offert une montre de luxe. (For his birthday, he treated himself to a luxury watch.)
• J'aimerais m'offrir des vacances au soleil. (I would like to treat myself to a sunny vacation.)
• Ils se sont offert un bon dîner après une longue semaine. (They treated themselves to a good dinner after a long week.)

To invest in – investir dans

The French verb for "to invest" is investir. It's a common and important verb to know for discussing finances, future planning, or even dedicating effort to something.

Crucially, when you want to express "to invest in something" in French, you use the preposition dans after investir. So, the phrase becomes investir dans.

Investir is a regular -IR verb, meaning its conjugation follows a predictable pattern, similar to verbs like finir or choisir. It can be used in both financial contexts and more general senses, like investing time or effort.

You can use investir dans for tangible assets like l'immobilier (real estate) or les actions (stocks), or for intangible things such as son éducation (one's education) or un projet (a project).

💡 * J'investis dans les actions. (I invest in stocks.)

• Il a décidé d'investir dans l'immobilier. (He decided to invest in real estate.)
• Nous devons investir dans notre avenir. (We must invest in our future.)
• Elle investit beaucoup de temps dans ses projets. (She invests a lot of time in her projects.)

To order (to buy by ordering) – commander

The primary French verb to express 'to order' in the context of purchasing or requesting goods and services is commander. This is your go-to verb for most ordering situations.

You will most frequently use commander when ordering food or drinks at a restaurant, café, or bar. For instance, when you ask a waiter for your meal, you are commanding it.

Commander also applies to ordering products, whether online, by mail, or through a catalog. If you buy an item that needs to be delivered or specially prepared, you commandez it, signifying a purchase order.

Commander is a regular -er verb, making its conjugation relatively simple. A common polite phrase you'll use is 'Je voudrais commander...' (I would like to order...). Remember, this verb is about placing an order for something you intend to acquire.

💡 * Je voudrais commander une pizza. (I would like to order a pizza.)

• Nous avons commandé des livres en ligne. (We ordered books online.)
• Il a commandé un café. (He ordered a coffee.)
• Puis-je commander le plat du jour ? (Can I order the dish of the day?)
• Elle va commander une nouvelle robe. (She is going to order a new dress.)

Are there other ways to say 'to buy' in French?

Are there other ways to say 'to buy' in French?

Our list features the most common ways to say 'to buy' in French. However, the French language is incredibly rich, and you'll find other terms — from formal and old-fashioned expressions to regionalisms and even modern slang that this author might not even be aware of yet!

To explore further, you can always do an online search for “comment dire acheter en ___” followed by a specific Francophone country or region to discover local expressions.

If you come across new synonyms for acheter on your linguistic journey, always make sure to check their definitions and try to observe how they are used in context before incorporating them into your own vocabulary.

As you continue to read, watch, and listen to French content, pay close attention — you might stumble upon different, nuanced ways to express the act of buying.

For a comprehensive look at acheter and related vocabulary, including various shades of meaning and common expressions, the WordReference entry for acheter is an excellent starting point.

I hope this article has helped clarify the many ways to say 'to buy' in French. Remember, language learning is a journey of discovery, and every new word acquired is a step forward!