comprar
“comprar” means “to buy” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
to buy
Also: to purchase, to shop for
📝 In Action
Voy a comprar pan en la tienda.
A1I'm going to buy bread at the store.
¿Qué compraste en el mercado?
A2What did you buy at the market?
Compramos los boletos para el concierto en línea.
B1We bought the tickets for the concert online.
to bribe
Also: to buy off
📝 In Action
Intentaron comprar al juez para ganar el caso.
B2They tried to bribe the judge to win the case.
No puedes comprar su silencio para siempre.
C1You can't buy his silence forever.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
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🗣️ Practice in a Tongue Twister
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: comprar
Question 1 of 1
In the sentence 'El político corrupto intentó comprar mi voto,' what does 'comprar' mean?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin word `comparāre`, which originally meant 'to get, to prepare, or to acquire.' Over time, its meaning in Spanish narrowed down to specifically mean acquiring something by paying for it.
First recorded: Around the 10th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between 'comprar' and 'ir de compras'?
'Comprar' is the specific action of buying something ('Voy a comprar leche'). 'Ir de compras' is the general activity of 'going shopping,' which might involve browsing several stores without buying anything ('El sábado vamos de compras').
How do I say 'I bought it FOR you'?
You can say 'Lo compré para ti.' The word 'para' shows who the purchase is for. A very common and natural way is to use 'te' before the verb: 'Te lo compré,' where 'te' means '(for) you'.