Comprar Conjugation: All Spanish Tenses

Comprar (to buy, to purchase) is one of the most used verbs in Spanish and it is completely regular: it follows the -ar verb pattern in every tense, so it is a perfect model verb to learn early.

Indicative Tenses of Comprar

Comprar in the Present (Presente)

Habits, current facts and general truths: Compro el pan en la panadería de la esquina (I buy bread at the bakery on the corner).

Present tense rules →

Comprar in the Preterite (Pretérito indefinido)

Completed actions at a specific moment in the past: Ayer compré un regalo para mi madre (Yesterday I bought a gift for my mother).

Preterite rules →

Comprar in the Present Perfect (Pretérito perfecto)

Past connected to the present: Hoy he comprado todo para la cena (Today I have bought everything for dinner).

Present perfect rules →

Comprar in the Imperfect (Pretérito imperfecto)

Habitual or ongoing actions in the past: De pequeños comprábamos caramelos todos los domingos (As children we used to buy sweets every Sunday).

Imperfect rules →

Comprar in the Past Perfect (Pluscuamperfecto)

An action before another past action: Cuando llegué, ya habían comprado las entradas (When I arrived, they had already bought the tickets).

Past perfect rules →

Comprar in the Future (Futuro simple)

Plans and predictions: Mañana compraré los billetes de tren (Tomorrow I will buy the train tickets).

Future tense rules →

Comprar in the Future Perfect (Futuro perfecto)

An action that will be completed in the future: Para el viernes ya habremos comprado todos los muebles (By Friday we will have bought all the furniture).

Future perfect rules →

Comprar in the Conditional (Condicional simple)

Advice and hypothetical situations: Yo en tu lugar compraría el modelo más barato (If I were you, I would buy the cheaper model).

Conditional rules →

Comprar in the Conditional Perfect (Condicional compuesto)

Hypotheses about the past: Habría comprado esa casa, pero era muy cara (I would have bought that house, but it was too expensive).

Conditional perfect rules →

Subjunctive Tenses of Comprar

Present Subjunctive of Comprar (Presente de subjuntivo)

Wishes, doubts and emotions: Quiero que compres fruta fresca (I want you to buy fresh fruit).

Present subjunctive rules →

Present Perfect Subjunctive of Comprar (Pretérito perfecto de subjuntivo)

Evaluating a recent past action: Espero que hayas comprado el regalo (I hope you have bought the gift).

Perfect subjunctive rules →

Imperfect Subjunctive of Comprar (Pretérito imperfecto de subjuntivo)

Hypothetical conditions: Si compraras menos, ahorrarías más (If you bought less, you would save more).

Imperfect subjunctive rules →

Past Perfect Subjunctive of Comprar (Pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo)

Unreal hypotheses about the past: Si hubieras comprado antes, habrías pagado menos (If you had bought earlier, you would have paid less).

Past perfect subjunctive rules →

Imperative of Comprar

Affirmative Commands of Comprar (Imperativo afirmativo)

Orders and requests: ¡Compra leche cuando salgas! (Buy milk when you go out!)

Affirmative commands rules →

Negative Commands of Comprar (Imperativo negativo)

Prohibitions and negative advice: No compres nada sin compararlo antes (Don't buy anything without comparing it first).

Negative commands rules →

Expressions with Comprar

• Comprar a plazos - to buy in installments
• Ir de compras - to go shopping
• Comprar gato por liebre - to be cheated on a purchase (literally: to buy a cat instead of a hare)
• Comprar al por mayor - to buy wholesale, in bulk