Introduction
Comprar means “to buy”, and this page covers exactly one thing: comprar in the present tense. The present is the tense Spanish speakers reach for when they talk about what happens regularly, what is true in general, and what is happening right now. On this page you will find the full present table for comprar, how the tense is formed for this verb, the situations where it is used, how it differs from the preterite, worked examples, the mistakes learners make most often, an eight-question quiz with explained answers, and answers to the questions students ask about comprar in the present. Comprar is the verb for buying things: food, clothes, a car, a house. The thing bought is the direct object, with no preposition. For example: “Yo compro pan todos los días.” — I buy bread every day. Everything on this page uses the forms of comprar exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.
Comprar in the Present Tense — full table
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | compro |
| tú | compras |
| él/ella/Ud. | compra |
| nosotros/as | compramos |
| vosotros/as | compráis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | compran |
Gerund: comprando · Past participle: comprado
The gerund is comprando, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy comprando” means the action of comprar is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is comprado, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he comprado” is the present perfect, used for a completed action. Keep both forms in mind as you read the examples below, because the present is only one part of how comprar is used.
How the present of comprar is formed
Comprar is a regular -ar verb, so the present follows the standard pattern with no surprises. Take the stem compr (the infinitive without its -ar ending) and add the present endings: -o for yo, -as or -es for tú, -a or -e for él/ella/Ud., -amos / -emos / -imos for nosotros, -áis for vosotros, and -an or -en for ellos/ellas/Uds.. That gives you compro, compras, compra, compramos, compráis and compran. Because the verb is regular, once you know the stem and the six endings you can produce every form without memorising a list, and the same pattern works for every other regular -ar verb you learn.
When to use the present of comprar
The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use comprar in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.
1. Buying things
Comprar is the verb for buying things: food, clothes, a car, a house. The thing bought is the direct object, with no preposition. Example: “Yo compro pan todos los días.” — I buy bread every day.
2. Buying for someone
Comprar para + person means to buy for someone. The para marks who the purchase is for. Example: “Mi madre compra ropa para los niños.” — My mother buys clothes for the children.
3. Buying in a place
Comprar en + place means to buy somewhere: in a shop, at the market, online. The en marks where you shop. Example: “Nosotros compramos en el mercado.” — We buy at the market.
4. Habits and routines
The present tense is the tense of routine. When something happens every day, every week or every morning, the present is the natural choice, and comprar is no exception. Use time expressions such as todos los días, siempre or cada semana to make the routine explicit. Example: “Yo compro pan todos los días.” — I buy bread every day.
5. What is happening right now
The present also describes an action in progress at this very moment. Spanish often prefers the simple present where English would use the continuous form, so a sentence with comprar in the present can mean both “I do this” and “I am doing this now”. Context tells the listener which one you mean. Example: “Nosotros compramos en el mercado.” — We buy at the market.
Present Tense vs Preterite: how to choose
The closest tense to the present is the preterite, and learners mix them up constantly. The rule is simple: the present describes habits, general truths and what is happening now, while the preterite describes one finished action in the past. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is the time frame — and with it, the tense. Notice how the present sentences use words such as todos los días or siempre, while the preterite sentences use ayer or la semana pasada. Those time words are your best clue when you are choosing a tense.
Present Tense: “Yo compro pan todos los días.” — I buy bread every day.
Preterite: “Ayer yo compré pan y leche.” — Yesterday I bought bread and milk.
Todos los días describes a routine, so the present is right; ayer names one finished day, so the preterite is right.
Present Tense: “Mi padre compra el periódico cada mañana.” — My father buys the newspaper every morning.
Preterite: “Mi padre compró el periódico ayer.” — My father bought the newspaper yesterday.
Cada mañana signals repetition, so the present fits; ayer names one finished day, so the preterite fits.
Present Tense: “Yo compro pan todos los días.” — I buy bread every day.
Preterite: “Ayer, yo compré pan todos los días.” — the same action, but finished yesterday instead of repeated as a habit.
The present sentence is true every day; the preterite sentence is true once, yesterday. That difference — routine versus one finished event — is the whole decision.
Example sentences: comprar in the present
Read these eight sentences out loud. They cover all six persons, so by the end you will have seen every form in the table used in a real sentence. Pay attention to the words around the verb — the time expressions, the objects, the other verbs — because those are what make each sentence sound natural.
“Yo compro pan todos los días.” — I buy bread every day.
“¿Tú compras la ropa en rebajas?” — Do you buy clothes in the sales?
“Mi madre compra ropa para los niños.” — My mother buys clothes for the children.
“Nosotros compramos en el mercado.” — We buy at the market.
“Vosotros compráis los billetes por internet.” — You buy the tickets online.
“Ellos compran una casa nueva.” — They buy a new house.
“Yo compro flores para mi mujer.” — I buy flowers for my wife.
“Mi padre compra el periódico cada mañana.” — My father buys the newspaper every morning.
Common mistakes with comprar in the present
These are the errors learners actually make with this verb in this tense. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo compro de pan.” Right: “Yo compro pan.” Why: Comprar takes a direct object with no preposition: compro pan, not compro de pan. The de appears only in quantities such as 'compro un kilo de pan', where it belongs to the quantity.
Wrong: “Ellos compra una casa.” Right: “Ellos compran una casa.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form compran. The singular compra belongs with él, ella or a singular noun such as mi madre.
Wrong: “Yo compro pan ayer.” Right: “Ayer yo compré pan y leche.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished purchase yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to compré.
Wrong: “Nosotros compras en el mercado.” Right: “Nosotros compramos en el mercado.” Why: Nosotros needs compramos. The tú form compras belongs with tú.
Quiz: comprar in the present
Choose the correct answer for each question, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained, so a wrong answer still teaches you something.
1. Complete the sentence: “Yo ______ pan todos los días.” (I buy bread every day.)
- (a) compras
- (b) compra
- (c) compro
Answer: compro — The yo form of comprar in the present is compro. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
2. Complete the sentence: “¿Tú ______ la ropa en rebajas?” (Do you buy clothes in the sales?)
- (a) compra
- (b) compras
- (c) compro
Answer: compras — The tú form of comprar in the present is compras. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
3. Complete the sentence: “Mi madre ______ ropa para los niños.” (My mother buys clothes for the children.)
- (a) compra
- (b) compro
- (c) compras
Answer: compra — The él/ella/Ud. form of comprar in the present is compra. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros ______ en el mercado.” (We buy at the market.)
- (a) compro
- (b) compras
- (c) compramos
Answer: compramos — The nosotros/as form of comprar in the present is compramos. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
5. What is the vosotros/as form of comprar in the present?
- (a) compras
- (b) compráis
- (c) compro
Answer: compráis — From the table above: vosotros/as takes compráis. Say it with the example sentence “Vosotros compráis los billetes por internet.” to fix it in your memory.
6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ una casa nueva.” (They buy a new house.)
- (a) compro
- (b) compras
- (c) compran
Answer: compran — The subject needs the ellos/ellas/Uds. form, which is compran.
7. Which is the correct yo form of comprar in the present?
- (a) compro
- (b) compra
- (c) compran
Answer: compro — The yo form is compro. The other two options are the él/ella and ellos/ellas forms.
8. Which sentence describes a habit, something that happens regularly?
- (a) Yo compro pan todos los días.
- (b) Ayer yo compré pan y leche.
- (c) Ayer yo compré pan y leche.
Answer: Yo compro pan todos los días. — “Yo compro pan todos los días.” describes something repeated, so it takes the present tense. The other two sentences describe single finished occasions in the past, not habits.
Frequently asked questions
Is comprar regular in the present tense?
Yes. Comprar is a regular -ar verb: the stem is compr- and the present endings are -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis and -an. There are no stem changes, so the whole table follows the standard pattern.
Does comprar take a preposition before what you buy?
No. What you buy is the direct object: 'Compro pan', 'Compro una casa'. Use para for the person you buy for ('Compro flores para mi mujer') and en for the place ('Compro en el mercado').
What is the difference between comprar and llevar?
Comprar means to buy, to pay for something, while llevar means to take or to carry, and also to wear. You buy bread (comprar pan) and you take it home (llevar el pan a casa). The two verbs describe different moments of the same shopping trip.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of comprar — every tense of comprar in one place.
- Comprar examples and quiz — more sentences with comprar and a ten-question quiz.
- Spanish present guide — how the present works for all Spanish verbs.
- Spanish verbs — the hub for every Spanish verb on VerbFlow.
- Present tense conjugator — conjugate any verb in the present instantly.
- Verb quiz — test yourself on comprar and other verbs.