Comprar conjugation

Comprar means "to buy". Here it is in every main tense, with real example sentences and a free checker for your own.

Meaningto buy

Type-ar verb

Gerundcomprando

Past participlecomprado

Comprar is a regular -ar verb: every tense follows the standard pattern. Juntos teaches Latin American Spanish, where ustedes replaces vosotros; the vosotros forms are shown for completeness.

Quick answer. Present: compro, compras, compra, compramos, compran. Preterite: compré, compraste, compró, compramos, compraron. All tenses below.

Comprar conjugation tables

Jump to: present · preterite · imperfect · future · conditional · present subjunctive · present perfect · commands (imperative)

Comprar in the present

what happens now or usually

yo	compro
tú	compras
él / ella / usted	compra
nosotros	compramos
vosotros (Spain)	compráis
ellos / ustedes	compran

Comprar in the preterite

a finished action at a specific time

yo	compré
tú	compraste
él / ella / usted	compró
nosotros	compramos
vosotros (Spain)	comprasteis
ellos / ustedes	compraron

Comprar in the imperfect

habits, descriptions and background in the past

yo	compraba
tú	comprabas
él / ella / usted	compraba
nosotros	comprábamos
vosotros (Spain)	comprabais
ellos / ustedes	compraban

Comprar in the future

what will happen

yo	compraré
tú	comprarás
él / ella / usted	comprará
nosotros	compraremos
vosotros (Spain)	compraréis
ellos / ustedes	comprarán

Comprar in the conditional

what would happen

yo	compraría
tú	comprarías
él / ella / usted	compraría
nosotros	compraríamos
vosotros (Spain)	compraríais
ellos / ustedes	comprarían

Comprar in the present subjunctive

after wishes, doubts and requests (quiero que…)

yo	compre
tú	compres
él / ella / usted	compre
nosotros	compremos
vosotros (Spain)	compréis
ellos / ustedes	compren

Comprar in the present perfect

what has happened, up to now (he comido)

yo	he comprado
tú	has comprado
él / ella / usted	ha comprado
nosotros	hemos comprado
vosotros (Spain)	habéis comprado
ellos / ustedes	han comprado

Comprar in the commands (imperative)

telling someone to do something (habla, no hables)

tú	compra
tú (no)	no compres
usted	compre
nosotros	compremos
vosotros (Spain)	comprad
ustedes	compren

Comprar in real sentences

Example sentences from the Juntos exercise bank, each checked before learners see it.

Present

Se compran y se venden casas en este barrio.
Houses are bought and sold in this neighborhood.

Preterite

Compré un café en el mercado ayer.
I bought a coffee at the market yesterday.
Mi hermana compró frutas en el mercado la semana pasada.
My sister bought fruit at the market last week.

Imperfect

Mientras comprábamos en el mercado, me llamaste.
While we were shopping at the market, you called me.
Mientras comprabas en el mercado, te llamé tres veces.
While you were shopping at the market, I called you three times.

Mistakes learners make with comprar

Comprarle algo a alguien can mean buying it from them or for them: le compré flores a Ana. Context decides.
Going shopping is ir de compras; the grocery shopping is hacer las compras (hacer el súper in Mexico).
The yo preterite is compré, with an accent. Compre without it is a different form (the subjunctive).

Write your own sentence with comprar

Not sure which past tense to use? The Spanish past tense course explains preterite vs imperfect with practice. Conjugate any other verb with the free Spanish conjugator, browse all 72 verb pages, or check any text with the free Spanish grammar checker.

Related verbs

Previous: estudiar · Next: viajar · all verbs

hablar conjugation
to speak
trabajar conjugation
to work
estudiar conjugation
to study
viajar conjugation
to travel
esperar conjugation
to wait / to hope
llamar conjugation
to call
llevar conjugation
to carry / to wear
tomar conjugation
to take / to drink

Use comprar in real conversation

Juntos grades every sentence you write or say, with the fix and why: grammar courses, reading, speaking and messaging, A1 to C1. 7 days free, no card.

Start your free trial

Questions people ask

Is comprar irregular in Spanish?

No. Comprar is a regular -ar verb, so every tense follows the standard -ar endings.

What is the preterite of comprar?

Yo compré, tú compraste, él/ella compró, nosotros compramos, ellos/ustedes compraron.

How do you conjugate comprar in the present?

Yo compro, tú compras, él/ella compra, nosotros compramos, ellos/ustedes compran.

What is the future of comprar?

Yo compraré, tú comprarás, él/ella comprará, nosotros compraremos, ellos/ustedes comprarán.

What is the present subjunctive of comprar?

Que yo compre, que tú compres, que él/ella compre, que nosotros compremos, que ellos/ustedes compren.