to acquire
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to acquire
To bring something into one's possession through purchase or payment. This expression is more formal than 'kaufen' (to buy).
Letztes Jahr konnte die Familie ein kleines Haus auf dem Land erwerben.
Last year, the family was able to acquire a small house in the countryside.
'Erwerben' (to acquire) is an inseparable verb. It derives from the old word 'werben' (to make an effort / to court) and, through the prefix 'er-', means that one successfully obtains something through effort.
Er hat hart gearbeitet, um sich diesen Erfolg zu erwerben.
He worked hard to earn this success.
The exact meaning of 'erwerben' (to acquire) depends on the object. With things like a house, it means 'kaufen' (to buy); with skills, it means 'lernen' (to learn); and with things like respect, it means 'sich verdienen' (to earn).
Sie möchte ein altes Bauernhaus erwerben und renovieren.
She would like to acquire and renovate an old farmhouse.
In the meaning 'kaufen' (to buy), 'erwerben' (to acquire) belongs to elevated or formal language. You often find it in contracts or when people talk about major purchases such as real estate or art.
Das Unternehmen hat die Patentrechte für die neue Technologie erworben.
The company acquired the patent rights for the new technology.
When someone obtains skills or knowledge for themselves, 'erwerben' (to acquire) is often used reflexively with a dative pronoun: 'sich (Dativ) etwas (Akkusativ) erwerben' (to acquire something for oneself).
Ich habe mir in der Abendschule neue Sprachkenntnisse erworben.
I acquired new language skills at evening school.
to get / receive
'bekommen' and 'erwerben' can both express that someone brings something into their possession or acquires something. 'bekommen' is very everyday and can be used broadly, for example for things you buy, find, or receive. 'erwerben' is more formal and more precise, especially for purchases, knowledge, skills, or reputation. For a normal purchase, 'bekommen' sounds more natural if you simply want to say that you got something. 'erwerben' fits better in official texts or when you want to emphasize that something was achieved through learning, performance, or payment.
Im Kurs erwerben die Teilnehmer wichtige Kenntnisse für den Beruf.
In the course, the participants acquire important knowledge for their profession.
Im kleinen Laden habe ich endlich das passende Ersatzteil bekommen.
I finally got the right spare part in the little shop.