# True or not? In French "s'acheter "or "lui acheté" are optional when expressing "buy for herself/himself"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-or-not-in-french-sacheter-or-lui-achete-are-optional-when-expressing-buy-for-herself-himself/965657>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [June 4, 2022, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-or-not-in-french-sacheter-or-lui-achete-are-optional-when-expressing-buy-for-herself-himself/965657 "2022-06-04T06:35:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Octagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/2acd7d/32.png) [@Octagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octagon)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2022, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-or-not-in-french-sacheter-or-lui-achete-are-optional-when-expressing-buy-for-herself-himself/965657/1 "2022-06-04T06:35:17Z")

</div>

I have come across this wording meaning "buy for herself/himself “…lui acheté…” which surprised me. I was told it is correct but I haven’t found any grammar website supporting this phrasing. I assumed the only way to express it was using s’acheter. I hope someone can confirm this.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![FrenchDunadan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frenchdunadan/32/5449_2.png) [@FrenchDunadan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrenchDunadan)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2022, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-or-not-in-french-sacheter-or-lui-achete-are-optional-when-expressing-buy-for-herself-himself/965657/2 "2022-06-04T15:28:36Z")

</div>

Do you have the complete sentence?  
“…lui acheté…” has no correct meaning if just that. (“Lui acheter” means “I buy something for _him_”)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Octagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/2acd7d/32.png) [@Octagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octagon)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2022, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-or-not-in-french-sacheter-or-lui-achete-are-optional-when-expressing-buy-for-herself-himself/965657/3 "2022-06-04T15:34:59Z")

</div>

Here is one example I found.

There is no reference to anyone other than the girl buying fruit for herself:

“Emma s’aperçoit alors qu’elle a faim. À part le civet de roussette de triste mémoire, elle n 'a rien mangé depuis plus de douze heures.  
Elle se dirige donc vers le marchand, et lui achète deux bananes, deux mangues et une noix de coco”.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Octagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/2acd7d/32.png) [@Octagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octagon)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2022, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-or-not-in-french-sacheter-or-lui-achete-are-optional-when-expressing-buy-for-herself-himself/965657/4 "2022-06-04T15:38:11Z")

</div>

I have seen elsewhere that "lui’ can be translated as “for herself”. But I have only recently seen examples like the one quoted.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![FrenchDunadan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frenchdunadan/32/5449_2.png) [@FrenchDunadan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrenchDunadan)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2022, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-or-not-in-french-sacheter-or-lui-achete-are-optional-when-expressing-buy-for-herself-himself/965657/5 "2022-06-04T15:41:11Z")

</div>

So “et lui achète” with this accent means " and buy from him", so she buys the fruits to the merchant. He is the “lui” !

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Octagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/2acd7d/32.png) [@Octagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octagon)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2022, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-or-not-in-french-sacheter-or-lui-achete-are-optional-when-expressing-buy-for-herself-himself/965657/6 "2022-06-04T15:52:38Z")

</div>

Thank you. That solves that.