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Conjugation Chart of “Comprar” (to buy) in the Preterite (Past) Tense

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Understanding the Preterite (Past) Tense of “Comprar”

The preterite of comprar is used to express when someone bought something at a specific moment in the past. For example, when you want to say “I bought a new car last week” – “Compré un carro nuevo la semana pasada.”

This is a regular -ar verb in the preterite tense. It follows the standard -ar conjugation pattern without any stem changes or spelling adjustments.

How to Use Comprar in the Preterite (Past) Tense

The Preterite of comprar indicates completed purchases or acquisitions.

To buy/purchase: Used for completed transactions, for example Compré un carro nuevo (I bought a new car), or Compraron una casa el mes pasado (They bought a house last month).

To acquire/obtain: In broader contexts of obtaining things, for example Compré su silencio con un regalo (I bought their silence with a gift).

Real Life Examples of Comprar in the Preterite (Past) Tense

Compré un carro nuevo ayer. (I bought a new car yesterday.)

¿Dónde compraste ese vestido? (Where did you buy that dress?)

María compró regalos para todos. (Maria bought gifts for everyone.)

Compramos una casa en la playa. (We bought a beach house.)

Los estudiantes compraron sus libros. (The students bought their books.)

Compré comida para la semana. (I bought food for the week.)

¿Compraste los boletos del concierto? (Did you buy the concert tickets?)

Ella compró un regalo de cumpleaños. (She bought a birthday present.)

Compramos muebles nuevos. (We bought new furniture.)

Ellos compraron una computadora. (They bought a computer.)

Compré un billete de avión. (I bought a plane ticket.)

¿Por qué compraste tanto? (Why did you buy so much?)

Juan compró un teléfono nuevo. (Juan bought a new phone.)

Compramos recuerdos del viaje. (We bought souvenirs from the trip.)

Los niños compraron dulces. (The children bought candy.)

Conjugation Chart with English Translations

Conjugations of Comprar (to buy) in the Preterite (Past) Tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Castilian Spanish. For Latin American Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Preterite tense is also known as the Simple Past, Past Simple, Definite Past, Absolute Past, or Past Tense Indicative in English, and as Pretérito Perfecto Simple, Pretérito Indefinido, Pretérito Simple, Pasado Simple, or Pretérito de Indicativo in Spanish.