Confusing Past Tenses

This form ('compró') is part of the preterite tense, which Spanish uses to talk about actions that started and finished at a specific point in the past, like a transaction.

The Preterite Tense

The accent on the 'ó' is essential! It tells you the stress is on the last syllable and signals that the action happened definitively in the past (He/She/You bought).

The Accent Mark

'Compró' can refer to 'él' (he), 'ella' (she), or 'usted' (you, formal). You often need the context or the subject noun (like 'Mi jefe') to know who did the buying.

Identifying the Subject

Extremely common. This form is used constantly to talk about a completed action of buying in the past.

'Compró' is the third-person singular past tense (preterite) of the Spanish verb 'comprar' (to buy), meaning 'he, she, or formal you bought.' Learn its conjugation, pronunciation, and correct use for completed past actions.

compró

Complete Conjugation Tables

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

future

imperfect

conditional

preterite

imperative

negative

affirmative

subjunctive

present

imperfect

Practice Conjugations