Comparar Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish

The present tense of comparar — “to compare” in English — is the form you need for what happens now, for habits and for general truths. This page gives you the full present conjugation table for comparar with all six persons, explains exactly how the tense is formed for this verb, shows when to use it with real examples, and finishes with a quiz so you can test yourself. 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. Comparar is a regular -ar verb, so the notes below explain exactly where it follows the rules and where it breaks them. To see it in a real sentence: Comparo los precios de dos tiendas.

Present tense conjugation table: comparar

Every person of comparar in the present tense. The gerund is comparando and the past participle is comparado.

Present indicative

Person Form
yo comparo
tú comparas
él/ella/Ud. compara
nosotros/as comparamos
vosotros/as comparáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. comparan

How the present of comparar is formed

The present of comparar is built from the stem compar- plus the present endings for -ar verbs. Take the infinitive, drop the -ar ending, and add the ending that matches the person. The table below shows the endings, and the full table above shows them attached to the stem.

Person Ending Form
yo -o comparo
tú -as comparas
él/ella/Ud. -a compara
nosotros/as -amos comparamos
vosotros/as -áis comparáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. -an comparan

For comparar there are no surprises in the present: every form is the stem compar- plus the regular ending, so once you know the endings you know the whole tense.

When to use the present tense with comparar

Habits and routines

Use the present for things you do regularly.

Yo comparo los precios de dos tiendas. — I compare the prices of two shops.

General facts

Use the present for facts and general truths that do not change.

Él/Ella compara el antes y el después. — He compares the before and after.

What is happening right now

Use the present for what is happening at this moment.

Ahora, Nosotros/as comparamos dos coches antes de comprar. — Right now, We compare two cars before buying.

Near-future plans

Use the present for fixed plans in the near future, especially with mañana or la semana que viene.

Mañana, Tú comparas las notas con mis amigos. — Tomorrow, You compare my marks with my friends.

Instructions and timeless statements

Use the present for instructions, rules and statements that are always true.

Él/Ella compara los precios de dos tiendas. — He compares the prices of two shops.

The present vs the preterite

The present and the preterite answer different questions: the present says what happens regularly or right now, while the preterite says what happened once and finished. Compare the same idea in both tenses with comparar.

  1. Yo comparo los precios de dos tiendas. — I compare the prices of two shops. / Ayer, Yo comparé los precios de dos tiendas. — Yesterday, I compared the prices of two shops.
  2. Yo comparo el antes y el después. — I compare the before and after. / Ayer, Yo comparé el antes y el después. — Yesterday, I compared the before and after.
  3. Yo comparo dos coches antes de comprar. — I compare two cars before buying. / Ayer, Yo comparé dos coches antes de comprar. — Yesterday, I compared two cars before buying.

Example sentences in the present tense

Seven sentences with comparar in the present tense only, covering all six persons.

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

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.
  2. Wrong: Ayer, yo comparo el antes y el después. — Right: Ayer, yo comparé el antes y el después. — With ayer, use the preterite (comparé), not the present. The present is for habits and for right now.
  3. Wrong: Using comparar where contrastar belongs. — Right: Comparar means to compare, while contrastar means to contrast two things. — Check the meaning before you choose: comparar fits Comparo los precios de dos tiendas.
  4. Wrong: Espero que él compara el antes y el después. — Right: Espero que él compare el antes y el después. — After espero que, Spanish needs the subjunctive: compare, not the present indicative compara.

Quiz: the present tense of comparar

Eight questions on the present tense of comparar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ los precios de dos tiendas. (present tense, yo) A. comparo B. comparas C. compara D. comparamos

  2. Complete the sentence: Tú ___ el antes y el después. (present tense, tú) A. comparo B. compara C. comparamos D. comparas

  3. Complete the sentence: Él/Ella ___ dos coches antes de comprar. (present tense, él/ella/Ud.) A. comparas B. comparamos C. compara D. comparo

  4. Complete the sentence: Nosotros/as ___ las notas con mis amigos. (present tense, nosotros/as) A. compara B. comparamos C. comparo D. comparas

  5. Complete the sentence: Vosotros/as ___ los precios de dos tiendas. (present tense, vosotros/as) A. comparáis B. comparo C. comparas D. compara

  6. Complete the sentence: Ellos/as ___ el antes y el después. (present tense, ellos/ellas/Uds.) A. comparo B. comparas C. compara D. comparan

  7. Which is the gerund of comparar? A. comparo B. comparé C. comparando D. comparado

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

Answer key

  1. comparo — The yo present form of comparar is comparo.
  2. comparas — The tú present form of comparar is comparas.
  3. compara — The él/ella/Ud. present form of comparar is compara.
  4. comparamos — The nosotros/as present form of comparar is comparamos.
  5. comparáis — The vosotros/as present form of comparar is comparáis.
  6. comparan — The ellos/ellas/Uds. present form of comparar is comparan.
  7. comparando — The gerund of comparar is comparando: estoy comparando.
  8. comparado — The past participle of comparar is comparado: he comparado, has comparado, ha comparado.

Frequently asked questions

How is the present tense of comparar formed?

Take the infinitive comparar, drop the -ar ending to get the stem compar-, then add the present endings: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an. The full table is above, with every person. No, the present of comparar is fully regular: the stem compar- plus the standard -ar endings gives every form.

When do I use the present tense of comparar?

Use the present for habits, facts and what is happening right now. For example: Comparo los precios de dos tiendas.

What is the difference between the present and the preterite of comparar?

The present (comparo) and the preterite (comparé) answer different questions: the present is for habits and for right now, while the preterite is for one finished action. Compare them in the contrast section above.

How do I practise the present of comparar?

Drill the six forms in the table until you can say them without looking, then use the full conjugation of comparar to see how the present fits with the other tenses, and the comparar examples and quiz page for more sentences. The Spanish Verb Quiz tests the forms under pressure.

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