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comprar means to buy — a common term in Essential Spanish. Learn how it's used in a real-world example.

📅 Published: July 12, 2025

📘 Essential Spanish

comprar

verb • /[kohm-PRAR]/

to buy

Example:

Necesito comprar agua y frutas esta tarde.

I need to buy water and fruits this afternoon.

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🧠 What does comprar mean?

Comprar means 'to buy' in Spanish. It's a regular -ar verb, making it relatively straightforward to conjugate. You use 'comprar' to talk about acquiring something through purchase, whether it's a house, a coffee, or a new pair of shoes.

📚 Extra examples

  • Voy a comprar un coche nuevo.
    I'm going to buy a new car.
  • ¿Dónde compraste ese vestido?
    Where did you buy that dress?
  • Compré pan en la panadería.
    I bought bread at the bakery.
  • Ella quiere comprar una casa en la playa.
    She wants to buy a house on the beach.
  • No necesito comprar nada.
    I don't need to buy anything.

❓ FAQ

How do you say 'to buy' in Spanish?
The Spanish word for 'to buy' is 'comprar'.
How do you pronounce 'comprar' in Spanish?
It's pronounced kom-PRAR, with the stress on the second syllable. The 'r' is a Spanish alveolar tap, a sound somewhere between a 'd' and an 'r'.
How do you use 'comprar' in a sentence?
You can use 'comprar' in many ways! For example: 'Quiero comprar un libro' (I want to buy a book), or '¿Compraste el periódico?' (Did you buy the newspaper?).
What is the English translation of 'comprar'?
'Comprar' translates to 'to buy' in English.
Does 'comprar' change for gender or number?
No, 'comprar' itself doesn't change based on gender. However, it does conjugate depending on the subject pronoun and tense.
Is 'comprar' common in everyday Spanish?
Yes, 'comprar' is extremely common. You'll hear and use it frequently in daily conversations.
Does 'comprar' have slang or double meanings?
While 'comprar' doesn't have any common double meanings, it can sometimes be used figuratively in slang to mean 'to believe' something unlikely. Like saying in English, 'I don't buy it'.
Is 'comprar' used differently in Spain vs Latin America?
The meaning and usage of 'comprar' are consistent across both Spain and Latin America.
How do you conjugate 'comprar' in Spanish?
Here's the present tense: yo compro, tú compras, él/ella/usted compra, nosotros/nosotras compramos, vosotros/vosotras compráis, ellos/ellas/ustedes compran.

🔁 Synonyms & opposites of "comprar"

Synonyms: adquirir, obtener
Opposites: vender

💡 Did You Know?

The word 'comprar' comes from the Latin word 'comparare', which originally meant 'to procure' and later evolved to specifically mean 'to buy'.

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