Spanish grammar · Beginner
Comprar Conjugation: Every Tense with Examples
Comprar means to buy. Fully regular -ar verb across every tense: compro, compré, compraba, compraré, compraría, compre, comprando, comprado. One of the easiest, most useful Spanish verbs.
Compro pan en la panadería.
I buy bread at the bakery.
What it is
Comprar means to buy. One of the most-used verbs in Spanish and fully regular -ar across every tense. No stem changes, no spelling shifts, no irregular forms anywhere.
Compro pan (I buy bread, present). Compré un libro (I bought a book, preterite). Compraré una casa (I'll buy a house, future).
How to spot it
Fully regular -ar. Common structures: comprar algo (buy something), comprar a alguien (buy from / for someone), comprar en (buy at), comprar por (buy for X price).
- Compro fruta cada semana. — I buy fruit every week.
- Compré este libro ayer. — I bought this book yesterday.
- Vamos a comprar regalos. — We're going to buy gifts.
Comprar is in the same fully-regular -ar family as hablar, estudiar, trabajar, cantar, mirar.
Comprar Conjugation Quick Reference
Comprar at a glance
| Person | Present | Preterite | Imperfect | Future | Subjunctive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | compro | compré | compraba | compraré | compre |
| tú | compras | compraste | comprabas | comprarás | compres |
| él/ella/Ud. | compra | compró | compraba | comprará | compre |
| nosotros | compramos | compramos | comprábamos | compraremos | compremos |
| vosotros | compráis | comprasteis | comprabais | compraréis | compréis |
| ellos/Uds. | compran | compraron | compraban | comprarán | compren |
Common Comprar Conjugation Examples in Spanish
Comprar across uses:
Buying Everyday Items
- Compro pan cada mañana.
- I buy bread every morning.
- Compré leche y huevos.
- I bought milk and eggs.
- ¿Compramos verduras?
- Should we buy vegetables?
- Mañana compraré frutas.
- Tomorrow I'll buy fruit.
Comprar is the everyday verb for shopping. Use with food, clothes, household items.
Buying Larger Purchases
- Compré una casa el año pasado.
- I bought a house last year.
- Vamos a comprar un coche nuevo.
- We're going to buy a new car.
- Compraron un piso en Madrid.
- They bought an apartment in Madrid.
- Quiero comprar una bicicleta.
- I want to buy a bike.
Same comprar for big purchases (cars, houses, electronics).
Comprar + En (At), Por (For Price)
- Compré el libro en Amazon.
- I bought the book at Amazon.
- Lo compré por veinte euros.
- I bought it for twenty euros.
- Compramos en el supermercado.
- We shop at the supermarket.
- Los zapatos los compré en rebajas.
- I bought the shoes on sale.
Comprar en + place. Comprar por + price. Comprar al / la / los / las for the receiver (vendor).
Comprar a Alguien (Buy From / For Someone)
- Le compré un regalo a María.
- I bought a gift for María.
- Compré pan al panadero.
- I bought bread from the baker.
- Les compraremos juguetes a los niños.
- We'll buy toys for the kids.
- Le compré flores a mi madre.
- I bought flowers for my mom.
Comprar a + person can mean BUY FROM or BUY FOR. Context clarifies. Direct object = thing bought; a + person = recipient or seller.
How to Conjugate Comprar Across Tenses
Present, Fully Regular -ar
Compro, compras, compra, compramos, compráis, compran. Standard -ar endings, no irregularities.
Compro, compras, compra, compramos, compráis, compran.
I buy, you buy, etc.
Same pattern as hablo, estudio, miro.
Preterite, Fully Regular
Compré, compraste, compró, compramos, comprasteis, compraron. Standard -ar preterite.
Compré leche ayer.
I bought milk yesterday.
Same as hablé, estudié.
Subjunctive, Standard
Compre, compres, compre, compremos, compréis, compren. Take yo (compro), drop -o, add -e endings.
Espero que compres pan.
I hope you buy bread.
Subjunctive: standard -ar pattern.
Compound Tenses
Past participle comprado is regular. He comprado, había comprado, etc.
He comprado todo lo que necesito.
I've bought everything I need.
Regular past participle.
Common Mistakes with Comprar Conjugation
Incorrect: Yo compre fruta ayer. — I bought fruit yesterday.
Correct: Yo compré fruta ayer. — I bought fruit yesterday.
Preterite yo form requires the accent: compré (with accent on é). Without accent, compre is the present subjunctive form (different meaning).
Incorrect: Compré un regalo para mi madre. (slightly off in context) — I bought a gift for my mom.
Correct: Le compré un regalo a mi madre. — I bought a gift for my mom.
More natural in Spanish: comprar + le + thing + a + person. The le pronoun + a + person doubles the indirect object (standard Spanish structure).
Incorrect: Quiero que compras pan. — I want you to buy bread.
Correct: Quiero que compres pan. — I want you to buy bread.
Querer que triggers subjunctive. Tú form is compres (subjunctive), not compras (indicative).
Comprar Across Every Tense
Fully regular -ar verb. No stem changes, no spelling shifts.
Present (Regular)
Standard -ar present.
| yo |
| tú |
| él/ella/usted |
| nosotros |
| vosotros |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes |
Same as hablo, miro, estudio.
Preterite (Regular)
Standard -ar preterite.
| yo |
| tú |
| él/ella/usted |
| nosotros |
| vosotros |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes |
Note accents on compré, compró.
Imperfect (Regular)
Standard -ar imperfect.
| yo |
| tú |
| él/ella/usted |
| nosotros |
| vosotros |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes |
Antes compraba en ese mercado.
Future / Conditional / Subjunctive / Compound
All regular -ar.
| yo (future) |
| yo (conditional) |
| yo (present subjunctive) |
| yo (present perfect) |
Past participle comprado regular.
Comprar Conjugation FAQs
- What does comprar mean?
- Comprar means to buy / to purchase. Used for any purchase: food (compro pan), big items (compré una casa), gifts (le compré flores a mi madre). Fully regular -ar verb.
- How do you conjugate comprar in the present?
- Compro, compras, compra, compramos, compráis, compran. Fully regular -ar. No stem changes or irregularities.
- What's the preterite of comprar?
- Compré, compraste, compró, compramos, comprasteis, compraron. Note accents on compré (yo) and compró (él / ella / usted). Standard regular -ar preterite.
- How do you say 'buy something for someone' in Spanish?
- Use comprar with an indirect object: Le compré un regalo a mi madre (I bought my mom a gift). The le + a María structure is standard Spanish. Comprar + thing + para + person also works but is less common.
- How can I master comprar?
- Comprar is fully regular, so master the regular -ar endings (compro, compras, compré, compraré, etc.) and you've mastered comprar. Use it daily for shopping practice. Parrot's videos show comprar in everyday shopping contexts.