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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 a completed purchase in the past. For example, you might say “I bought a new car last week,” indicating a specific transaction that was completed at a defined moment.

This is a regular -ar verb that follows the standard preterite conjugation patterns. The endings are added directly to the stem ‘compr-‘ without any changes.

How to Use Comprar in the Preterite (Past) Tense

The preterite of comprar describes completed purchases or acquisitions in the past.

Purchases: Used for specific buying transactions, for example Compré un carro nuevo (I bought a new car). ¿Dónde compraste esa camisa? (Where did you buy that shirt?)

Metaphorical Uses: Can also mean to believe or accept something, for example No le compré su excusa (I didn’t buy his excuse). In business contexts, can mean to acquire as in La empresa compró tres subsidiarias (The company bought three subsidiaries).

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

Compré un regalo para mi madre. (I bought a gift for my mother.)

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

Mi hermano compró un carro nuevo. (My brother bought a new car.)

Compramos los boletos para el concierto. (We bought the tickets for the concert.)

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

Compré todo lo necesario para la fiesta. (I bought everything necessary for the party.)

¿Compraste el pan para la cena? (Did you buy the bread for dinner?)

Ella compró una casa en la playa. (She bought a house at the beach.)

Compramos regalos para todos. (We bought gifts for everyone.)

Los turistas compraron muchos recuerdos. (The tourists bought many souvenirs.)

Compré el periódico esta mañana. (I bought the newspaper this morning.)

¿Por qué no compraste más comida? (Why didn’t you buy more food?)

Mi padre compró un celular nuevo. (My father bought a new cell phone.)

Compramos muebles para el apartamento. (We bought furniture for the apartment.)

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

Conjugation Chart with English Translations

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

This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian 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.