ottenere
/ot.teˈne.re/
The English phrase 'obtain' translates to Italian as ottenere.
ottenere is used to express getting hold of, gaining possession of, procuring or acquiring something in any way. Depending on the specific nuance of 'obtain' you mean, you might use other verbs: ricevere if you mean 'to receive' or conseguire if you mean 'to achieve'. To specifically mean 'to obtain in exchange', you can use ottenere in cambio.
Meaning: to get hold of, to gain possession of, to procure, to acquire, in any way (verb)
Which one should you use?
While ottenere is used for obtaining specific items or results, the verb prendere is more common in everyday physical contexts when you want to say 'to take' or 'to get'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
ottenere is a more formal way to describe the acquisition of something compared to the colloquial verbs avere (to have) or prendere (to take).
How does it change in a sentence?
ottenere is a second-conjugation verb, which means it ends in -ere. The past participle of ottenere is ottenuto.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of ottenere is /ot.teˈne.re/. It has 4 syllables, and the stress is on the 3rd syllable.
Did you know?
- The verb ottenere is a 'relative' of the English word 'obtain'. Both descend from the Latin obtinēre, which combines ob meaning 'toward' and tenere meaning 'to hold'.
- While ottenere means 'to obtain', the root tenere is found in the common Italian phrase tenere a mente, which means 'to keep in mind'.
- The past participle ottenuto is frequently used in Italian legal and administrative documents to signify that a right has been officially granted or secured.
Examples in context
- È stato piuttosto facile da ottenere.It was easy to obtain.This sentence shows how to use ottenere to describe how easy something was to obtain.Tatoeba #5008794 by Guybrush88, translation #5008760 by CK
- Provò a ottenere un biglietto per il concerto.She tried to obtain a ticket for the concert.This sentence uses ottenere in the context of trying to obtain a ticket.Tatoeba #13382968 by Guybrush88, translation #310867 by CM
- La perfezione è qualcosa che non possiamo ottenere.Perfection is something we can't obtain.This sentence uses ottenere to talk about something that cannot be obtained.Tatoeba #12990550 by Nuel, translation #12990549 by Nuel
- Ho ottenuto la promozione al lavoro.I obtained the promotion at work.
- L'azienda ha acquisito una nuova filiale.The company has obtained/acquired a new branch.
- È riuscito a raggiungere il record di vendite.He managed to obtain/reach the sales record.
- Sono riuscito a prendere i biglietti per la partita.I managed to obtain/get the tickets for the match.
- Ha guadagnato il rispetto dei suoi colleghi.He obtained/earned the respect of his colleagues.
- Vorrei ottenere maggiori informazioni.I would like to obtain/gain more information.
- Ho preso il permesso per assentarmi oggi.I obtained/got permission to be absent today.
- Abbiamo ottenuto il finanziamento per il progetto.We obtained/got the funding for the project.
- Sto cercando di ottenere una risposta.I am trying to obtain/get an answer.
- Ho ricevuto molti complimenti per il mio lavoro.I obtained/received many compliments on my work.
- Non riesco a conseguire buoni risultati.I can't obtain/achieve good results.
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Matteo and Sofia are discussing a research project at a library.
- MatteoSofia, riesci a ottenere i dati che servono?Sofia, can you obtain the necessary data?
- SofiaNon sono sicura di poter ottenere tutto oggi.I am not sure if I can obtain everything today.
- MatteoSe riesci a ottenere anche solo metà, va bene.If you can obtain even half, it's fine.
- SofiaAllora cercherò di ottenere il massimo possibile.Then I will try to obtain as much as possible.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “obtain” translations and entries ottenere, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ottenere, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
