Comparar Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish

comparar means “to compare” in English, and this page shows you how it actually sounds in everyday Spanish — not just the conjugation table, but the verb in real sentences, in short dialogues, and in the mistakes learners make with it. Comparar means to compare, and it is used for comparing prices, comparing before and after, comparing two cars before buying and comparing marks with friends. It takes con for the second element, as in comparar los precios con los de otra tienda. Below you will find twelve example sentences grouped by tense, two short dialogues, the most common mistakes with corrections, and a ten-question quiz with explained answers. If you want the full tables first, start with the full conjugation of comparar; if you want to study one tense in depth, see the comparar present tense page.

comparar in everyday use: examples with translations

In the present

Four sentences with comparar in the present tense, for habits, facts and things happening right now.

  1. Yo comparo los precios de dos tiendas. — I compare the prices of two shops.
  2. Él/Ella compara el antes y el después. — He compares the before and after.
  3. Nosotros/as comparamos dos coches antes de comprar. — We compare two cars before buying.
  4. Ellos/as comparan las notas con mis amigos. — They compare my marks with my friends.

In the past

Four sentences with comparar in the past: the preterite for finished actions and the imperfect for habits and background.

  1. Ayer, Yo comparé dos coches antes de comprar. — Yesterday, I compared two cars before buying.
  2. Antes, Nosotros/as comparábamos las notas con mis amigos. — Before, We used to compare my marks with my friends.
  3. Ayer, Él/Ella comparó los precios de dos tiendas. — Yesterday, He compared the prices of two shops.
  4. De niños, Ellos/as comparaban el antes y el después. — As children, They used to compare the before and after.

Plans, hopes and wishes

Four sentences with comparar in the future, the conditional, the subjunctive and the present perfect — for plans, hypotheticals and things that have just happened.

  1. Mañana, Tú compararás los precios de dos tiendas. — Tomorrow, You will compare the prices of two shops.
  2. Yo compararía el antes y el después. — I would compare the before and after.
  3. Espero que él compare dos coches antes de comprar. — I hope he compares two cars before buying.
  4. Él/Ella ha comparado las notas con mis amigos. — He has compared my marks with my friends.

comparar in context: two short dialogues

Making plans

Ana: ¿Tú comparas los precios de dos tiendas mañana? — Are you going to compare the prices of two shops tomorrow? Luis: Sí, yo comparo los precios de dos tiendas todos los días. — Yes, I compare the prices of two shops every day. Ana: ¿Y mañana compararás el antes y el después? — And tomorrow, will you compare the before and after? Luis: Claro, mañana compararé el antes y el después sin falta. — Of course, tomorrow I will compare the before and after without fail. Ana: Perfecto. Yo compararé dos coches antes de comprar también. — Perfect. I will compare two cars before buying too. Luis: Entonces quedamos mañana. ¡Hasta luego! — Then see you tomorrow. Bye!

Yesterday

Ana: ¿Qué hiciste ayer? — What did you do yesterday? Luis: Ayer comparé dos coches antes de comprar. — Yesterday, I compared two cars before buying. Ana: ¿Y antes comparabas las notas con mis amigos? — And before, did you use to compare my marks with my friends? Luis: Sí, antes comparaba las notas con mis amigos todos los días. — Yes, before, I used to compare my marks with my friends every day. Ana: ¿Y tus hermanos compararon los precios de dos tiendas? — And did your brothers compared the prices of two shops? Luis: Sí, ellos compararon los precios de dos tiendas por la tarde. — Yes, they compared the prices of two shops in the afternoon.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo compara los precios de dos tiendas. — Right: Yo comparo los precios de dos tiendas. — The person matters: compara is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is comparo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  2. Wrong: Treating comparar and contrastar as identical in every context. — Right: Comparar means to compare, while contrastar means to contrast two things. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: comparar fits sentences such as Comparo los precios de dos tiendas, while contrastar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  3. Wrong: Yo soy comparado el antes y el después. — Right: Yo he comparado el antes y el después. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he comparado, has comparado, ha comparado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  4. Wrong: De niño, yo comparé dos coches antes de comprar todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo comparaba dos coches antes de comprar todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (comparaba), not the preterite. The preterite (comparé) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

Ten questions on comparar in use. Choose the right answer, then check the answer key below.

  1. Complete the sentence: Ellos/as ___ las notas con mis amigos. (present tense) A. comparan B. comparo C. comparas D. compara

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, Nosotros/as ___ los precios de dos tiendas. (preterite tense) A. comparé B. comparaste C. comparó D. comparamos

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, Tú ___ el antes y el después. (imperfect tense) A. comparábamos B. comparabais C. comparabas D. comparaba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, Él/Ella ___ dos coches antes de comprar. (future tense) A. compararemos B. comparará C. compararé D. compararás

  5. Complete the sentence: Nosotros/as ___ las notas con mis amigos. (conditional tense) A. compararíamos B. compararía C. compararías D. compararíais

  6. Complete the sentence: Hoy, Yo ___ los precios de dos tiendas. (present-perfect tense) A. has comparado B. ha comparado C. hemos comparado D. he comparado

  7. What does comparar mean in English? A. to disturb B. to address as tú C. to compare D. to contrast two things

  8. Which of these sentences is WRONG? A. Ayer, Yo comparé dos coches antes de comprar. B. Yo compara los precios de dos tiendas. C. Yo comparo los precios de dos tiendas. D. Él/Ella compara el antes y el después.

  9. Which is the gerund of comparar, used with estar for the progressive? A. comparando B. comparado C. comparo D. comparé

  10. Which is the past participle of comparar, used with haber in the perfect tenses? A. comparando B. comparo C. comparé D. comparado

Answer key

  1. comparan — The correct form here is comparan.
  2. comparamos — The correct form here is comparamos.
  3. comparabas — The correct form here is comparabas.
  4. comparará — The correct form here is comparará.
  5. compararíamos — The correct form here is compararíamos.
  6. he comparado — The correct form here is he comparado.
  7. to compare — Comparar means to compare. Contrastar means to contrast two things, which is a different verb.
  8. Yo compara los precios de dos tiendas. — The first sentence is wrong: the correct form is Yo comparo los precios de dos tiendas.. The person matters: compara is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is comparo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  9. comparando — The gerund of comparar is comparando: estoy comparando.
  10. comparado — The past participle of comparar is comparado: he comparado, has comparado, ha comparado.

Frequently asked questions

What does comparar mean?

Comparar means to compare. Comparar means to compare, and it is used for comparing prices, comparing before and after, comparing two cars before buying and comparing marks with friends. It takes con for the second element, as in comparar los precios con los de otra tienda.

When do people use comparar most?

People use comparar most in everyday situations such as Yo comparo los precios de dos tiendas. and Ayer, Yo comparé dos coches antes de comprar.. Learn the present tense first, then the preterite and the imperfect, since those are the forms you will hear most often.

What is the difference between comparar and contrastar?

Comparar means to compare, while contrastar means to contrast two things. They appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable — check the meaning you want before you choose.

How can I remember the forms of comparar?

Practise the present tense table first, then add the preterite and the imperfect. Use the full conjugation of comparar as your reference, the comparar present tense page for one tense in depth, and the Spanish Verb Quiz to test yourself.

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