Comprar Conjugation in Portuguese
comprar means “to buy” in English, and it is one of the first verbs Portuguese learners meet — it sits at number 83 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for Portuguese verbs. It means to buy, and it is completely regular: compro, compras, compra, compramos, comprais, compram. Its pretérito perfeito is comprei, compraste, comprou, and its participle is comprado. It is the verb for buying anything, from a book to a house. This page gives you the complete conjugation of comprar — every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle — with notes, examples, common mistakes and a quiz. Here is the verb in a natural sentence: “Eu compro um livro todos os dias.” — “I buy a book.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: comprar
- English: to buy
- Verb type: Regular -ar verb
- Irregular in: none — regular in every tense
- Gerund: comprando
- Present participle: —
- Past participle: comprado
- Auxiliary: ter (all perfect tenses are formed with ter + the past participle)
- Ending: -ar verbs; pattern ar in the verified tables
Pronunciation
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for comprar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Learn the spelling of the forms first, and listen to a native speaker for the sounds rather than trusting an invented transcription. The forms below are the ones that matter: once you can read comprar in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about comprar
- It is regular: every form follows the ordinary -ar pattern, so once you know the stem you can build the whole table. The only work is learning the endings, not memorising exceptions.
- The perfect tenses use ter: the pretérito perfeito composto is formed with ter in the present plus the past participle comprado. The tables on this page give the participle in the masculine singular form, exactly as it appears in the verified dump; agreement with the subject is a separate step that depends on the sentence, not on the verb table.
- The gerund is comprando and the past participle is comprado: keep both in mind as you read the tables, because the gerund appears in progressive constructions and the past participle appears in every perfect tense. There is no present participle form listed for this verb in the verified tables. If you know those two forms and the present tense, you already know the skeleton of the whole conjugation.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for comprar. Learn the present tense first, then the pretérito perfeito and the pretérito imperfeito, and add the remaining tenses one at a time.
Present indicative (presente)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | compro |
| tu | compras |
| ele/ela | compra |
| nós | compramos |
| vós | comprais |
| eles/elas | compram |
The present indicative (presente) is used for habits, facts and things happening now. For example: “Eu compro um livro todos os dias.” — “I buy a book”
Pretérito perfeito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | comprei |
| tu | compraste |
| ele/ela | comprou |
| nós | comprámos |
| vós | comprastes |
| eles/elas | compraram |
The pretérito perfeito is used for completed actions in the past, especially one finished event. For example: “Eu comprei um livro ontem.” — “I bought a book”
Pretérito imperfeito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | comprava |
| tu | compravas |
| ele/ela | comprava |
| nós | comprávamos |
| vós | compráveis |
| eles/elas | compravam |
The pretérito imperfeito is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. For example: “Eu comprava um livro antigamente.” — “I used to buy a book”
Pretérito mais-que-perfeito simples
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | comprara |
| tu | compraras |
| ele/ela | comprara |
| nós | compráramos |
| vós | compráreis |
| eles/elas | compraram |
The pretérito mais-que-perfeito simples is used for an action completed before another past action; in everyday speech the compound form with tinha is more common. For example: “Eu comprara um livro antes do jantar.” — “I had bought a book”
Futuro do presente
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | comprarei |
| tu | comprarás |
| ele/ela | comprará |
| nós | compraremos |
| vós | comprareis |
| eles/elas | comprarão |
The futuro do presente is used for what will happen, for predictions and for promises. For example: “Eu comprarei um livro amanhã.” — “I will buy a book”
Futuro do pretérito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | compraria |
| tu | comprarias |
| ele/ela | compraria |
| nós | compraríamos |
| vós | compraríeis |
| eles/elas | comprariam |
The futuro do pretérito is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. For example: “Eu compraria um livro um dia.” — “I would buy a book”
Pretérito perfeito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tenho comprado |
| tu | tens comprado |
| ele/ela | tem comprado |
| nós | temos comprado |
| vós | tendes comprado |
| eles/elas | têm comprado |
The pretérito perfeito composto is used for actions that started in the past and continue, or have been repeated, up to the present. For example: “Ele tem comprado um livro esta semana.” — “He has bought a book”
Pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tinha comprado |
| tu | tinhas comprado |
| ele/ela | tinha comprado |
| nós | tínhamos comprado |
| vós | tínheis comprado |
| eles/elas | tinham comprado |
The pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Eu tinha comprado um livro antes do jantar.” — “I had bought a book”
Futuro do presente composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | terei comprado |
| tu | terás comprado |
| ele/ela | terá comprado |
| nós | teremos comprado |
| vós | tereis comprado |
| eles/elas | terão comprado |
The futuro do presente composto is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Eu terei comprado um livro até amanhã.” — “I will have bought a book”
Futuro do pretérito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | teria comprado |
| tu | terias comprado |
| ele/ela | teria comprado |
| nós | teríamos comprado |
| vós | teríeis comprado |
| eles/elas | teriam comprado |
The futuro do pretérito composto is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Eu teria comprado um livro ontem.” — “I would have bought a book”
Presente do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | compre |
| tu | compres |
| ele/ela | compre |
| nós | compremos |
| vós | compreis |
| eles/elas | comprem |
The presente do subjuntivo is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after que. For example: “É importante que eu compre um livro.” — “It is important that I buy a book”
Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | comprasse |
| tu | comprasses |
| ele/ela | comprasse |
| nós | comprássemos |
| vós | comprásseis |
| eles/elas | comprassem |
The pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo is used in the past for wishes and hypotheticals after que, and in se-clauses. For example: “Era importante que eu comprasse um livro.” — “It was important that I buy a book”
Futuro do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | comprar |
| tu | comprares |
| ele/ela | comprar |
| nós | comprarmos |
| vós | comprardes |
| eles/elas | comprarem |
The futuro do subjuntivo is used after se and quando for a future possibility, where English would use the present. For example: “Se eu comprar um livro, é bom.” — “If I buy a book, that is good”
Imperativo (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | compra |
| ele/ela | compre |
| nós | compremos |
| vós | comprai |
| eles/elas | comprem |
The affirmative imperative is used for direct commands and instructions. For example: “Compra um livro!” — “Buy a book!”
Imperativo (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | não compres |
| ele/ela | não compre |
| nós | não compremos |
| vós | não compreis |
| eles/elas | não comprem |
The negative imperative is used for prohibitions and negative commands. For example: “Não compres um livro.” — “Do not buy a book.”
Presente do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tenha comprado |
| tu | tenhas comprado |
| ele/ela | tenha comprado |
| nós | tenhamos comprado |
| vós | tenhais comprado |
| eles/elas | tenham comprado |
The presente do subjuntivo composto is used for a completed action in a subordinate clause expressing doubt, wish or emotion. For example: “É importante que eu tenha comprado um livro.” — “It is important that I have bought a book”
Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tivesse comprado |
| tu | tivesses comprado |
| ele/ela | tivesse comprado |
| nós | tivéssemos comprado |
| vós | tivésseis comprado |
| eles/elas | tivessem comprado |
The pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo composto is used for a completed action in a past subordinate clause. For example: “Era importante que eu tivesse comprado um livro.” — “It was important that I had bought a book”
Futuro do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tiver comprado |
| tu | tiveres comprado |
| ele/ela | tiver comprado |
| nós | tivermos comprado |
| vós | tiverdes comprado |
| eles/elas | tiverem comprado |
The futuro do subjuntivo composto is used after se for a completed future possibility. For example: “Se eu tiver comprado um livro, é bom.” — “If I have bought a book, that is good”
Gerund
| Form | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Gerund | comprando |
The gerund is used for an action happening at the same time as another action, often with estar for the progressive. For example: “Comprando um livro, aprendo muito.” — “While buying a book, I learn a lot.”
Past participle
| Form | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Past participle | comprado |
The past participle is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Eu tenho comprado um livro esta semana.” — “I have bought a book.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with comprar, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the Portuguese and try to produce it from the English.
- “Eu compro um livro todos os dias.” — “I buy a book”
- “Tu compraste um livro ontem.” — “You bought a book”
- “Ele comprava um livro antigamente.” — “He used to buy a book”
- “Eu comprarei um livro amanhã.” — “I will buy a book”
- “Tu comprarias um livro um dia.” — “You would buy a book”
- “Ele tem comprado um livro esta semana.” — “He has bought a book”
- “Eu tinha comprado um livro antes do jantar.” — “I had bought a book”
- “Tu terás comprado um livro até amanhã.” — “You will have bought a book”
- “É importante que eu compre um livro.” — “It is important that I buy a book”
- “Compra um livro!” — “Buy a book!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Eu comprar um livro.”
✓ Right: “Eu compro um livro todos os dias.”
The infinitive comprar never takes a subject. After eu you need the conjugated present form compro.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Eu compras um livro.”
✓ Right: “Eu compro um livro todos os dias.”
compras is the tu form, not the eu form. Match the verb to the subject every time: eu goes with compro.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Eu compro um livro ontem.”
✓ Right: “Eu comprei um livro ontem.”
Ontem points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the pretérito perfeito comprei for a finished action yesterday.
4. Using the wrong auxiliary in the pretérito perfeito composto
✗ Wrong: “Eu sou comprado um livro.”
✓ Right: “Eu tenho comprado um livro esta semana.”
The pretérito perfeito composto of comprar is formed with ter plus the past participle comprado: the eu form is tenho comprado. Check the auxiliary in the table above before you build a perfect tense.
5. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger
✗ Wrong: “É importante que eu compro um livro.”
✓ Right: “É importante que eu compre um livro.”
After é importante que Portuguese needs the subjunctive, so use compre here, not the indicative compro.
6. Using the gerund instead of the past participle in a perfect tense
✗ Wrong: “Eu tenho comprando um livro.”
✓ Right: “Eu tenho comprado um livro esta semana.”
The perfect tenses need the past participle comprado, not the gerund comprando. The gerund belongs in progressive constructions, never after an auxiliary in a perfect tense.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on comprar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the eu form of comprar in the Present indicative (presente)?
- A) compras
- B) compro
- C) compra
- D) compramos
What is the ele/ela form of comprar in the Pretérito perfeito?
- A) comprei
- B) compraste
- C) comprou
- D) comprámos
What is the nós form of comprar in the Pretérito imperfeito?
- A) comprava
- B) compravas
- C) compráveis
- D) comprávamos
What is the tu form of comprar in the Futuro do presente?
- A) comprarás
- B) comprarei
- C) comprará
- D) compraremos
What is the eu form of comprar in the Futuro do pretérito?
- A) comprarias
- B) compraria
- C) compraríamos
- D) compraríeis
What is the ele/ela form of comprar in the Pretérito perfeito composto?
- A) tenho comprado
- B) tens comprado
- C) tem comprado
- D) temos comprado
What is the ele/ela form of comprar in the Presente do subjuntivo?
- A) compres
- B) compremos
- C) compreis
- D) compre
What is the eu form of comprar in the Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo?
- A) comprasse
- B) comprasses
- C) comprássemos
- D) comprásseis
What is the gerund of comprar?
- A) comprado
- B) comprando
- C) comprar
- D) compro
What does comprar mean in English?
- A) to ask for
- B) to receive
- C) to buy
- D) to pay
Answer key
- B) compro — the correct form is compro. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) comprou — the correct form is comprou. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) comprávamos — the correct form is comprávamos. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) comprarás — the correct form is comprarás. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) compraria — the correct form is compraria. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) tem comprado — the correct form is tem comprado. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) compre — the correct form is compre. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) comprasse — the correct form is comprasse. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) comprando — the correct form is comprando. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) to buy — the correct form is to buy. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
Frequently asked questions
What does comprar mean in English?
comprar means “to buy”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is comprar regular or irregular?
comprar is regular: it follows the ordinary -ar pattern in every tense. The gerund is comprando and the past participle is comprado.
What are the gerund and past participle of comprar?
The gerund is comprando — use it with estar for the progressive. The past participle is comprado — use it with ter for the perfect tenses, as in tenho comprado.
Which auxiliary does comprar take in the pretérito perfeito composto?
comprar takes ter in the pretérito perfeito composto: the eu form is tenho comprado. All seven compound tenses on this page are built with ter plus the past participle comprado.
How do I say “I buy” in Portuguese?
Say “Eu compro um livro todos os dias.” — “I buy a book” The eu form of the present is compro, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of comprar — every tense of comprar in one place.
- Comprar in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Comprar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice questions for this verb.
- Portuguese present tense guide — the full guide to the present tense in Portuguese.
- Pagar conjugation — another everyday Portuguese verb.
- Fechar conjugation — another everyday Portuguese verb.
- Portuguese verbs — the full hub of Portuguese conjugation pages.
- VerbFlow home — all languages, tools and verb lists.
- Verb Conjugator — practise comprar with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise comprar with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise comprar with the interactive tool.