Comprare (to buy) is one of the first verbs every Italian learner needs — at the market, at the bar, online, in conversation. Grammatically it is a textbook regular -are verb: the stem compr- never changes shape, no spelling tweaks intrude, and every ending is the standard -are ending. If you've mastered parlare, you've already mastered comprare — substitute the stem and you have the full paradigm.
The interesting work with comprare is therefore not in the morphology but in the register and prepositions. Comprare is the everyday, neutral verb. Acquistare is its more formal twin, used in commercial contexts, on receipts, in newspapers and contracts. Acquisire (a different verb entirely) means to acquire in the abstract or business sense — to acquire a company, a skill, citizenship. Confusing the three can make your Italian sound stilted or, conversely, jarringly informal in the wrong setting.
Comprare descends from Latin comparare ("to compare, to bring together"). The shift from compare to purchase mirrors the original mercantile logic: to buy something you first compare prices, qualities, sellers — and the act of procuring through comparison eventually came to mean simply to buy. The parallel verb comparare was eventually re-borrowed from Latin into modern Italian to mean to compare in the original sense; so today comprare (buy) and comparare (compare) coexist as cognates with diverged meanings.
Indicativo presente
| Person | Form | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| io | compro | /KOM-pro/ |
| tu | compri | /KOM-pri/ |
| lui / lei / Lei | compra | /KOM-pra/ |
| noi | compriamo | /kom-PRIA-mo/ |
| voi | comprate | /kom-PRA-te/ |
| loro | comprano | /KOM-pra-no/ |
The stress pattern mirrors parlare: io, tu, lui, and loro all stress the root (KOM-pro, KOM-pra-no), while noi and voi stress the ending (kom-PRIA-mo, kom-PRA-te). The 3pl comprano is the diagnostic form — say kom-PRA-no and you sound non-native; say KOM-pra-no and you sound Italian.
Compro il pane in panetteria, non al supermercato.
I buy my bread at the bakery, not at the supermarket.
Cosa compri di solito per colazione?
What do you usually buy for breakfast?
Mio padre compra il giornale ogni mattina al solito chiosco.
My father buys the newspaper every morning at his usual kiosk.
Compriamo sempre la frutta dal contadino la domenica.
We always buy our fruit from the farmer on Sundays.
Voi comprate online o preferite andare in negozio?
Do you guys buy online or do you prefer going to the store?
I miei vicini comprano l'acqua minerale a casse intere.
My neighbours buy mineral water by the case.
Imperfetto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | compravo |
| tu | compravi |
| lui / lei / Lei | comprava |
| noi | compravamo |
| voi | compravate |
| loro | compravano |
Standard -are imperfetto. Heavy use for past habitual buying: "we used to buy", "I would always buy", "they were buying when..."
Da bambini compravamo le caramelle con le cento lire dalla nonna.
As kids we would buy candy with the hundred lire grandma gave us.
Mia nonna comprava sempre i fiori freschi al mercato del giovedì.
My grandmother always bought fresh flowers at Thursday's market.
Passato remoto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | comprai |
| tu | comprasti |
| lui / lei / Lei | comprò |
| noi | comprammo |
| voi | compraste |
| loro | comprarono |
Fully regular -are passato remoto. Mandatory grave on the 3sg comprò. Double m in the 1pl comprammo, distinguishing it from the present compriamo. In Northern conversation you'll hear the passato prossimo (ho comprato) instead — the passato remoto of comprare lives mainly in literary narrative and southern speech.
Nel 1985 mio padre comprò la sua prima macchina, una Fiat Panda.
In 1985 my father bought his first car, a Fiat Panda.
Comprarono la casa al mare poco prima della crisi.
They bought the seaside house just before the recession. (literary / narrative)
Futuro semplice
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | comprerò |
| tu | comprerai |
| lui / lei / Lei | comprerà |
| noi | compreremo |
| voi | comprerete |
| loro | compreranno |
The future stem is comprer- — note the thematic-vowel shift from a (in the infinitive) to e (in the future and conditional). This applies to every regular -are verb: parlerò, amerò, comprerò. The 1sg and 3sg carry the mandatory grave accent: comprerò, comprerà. Without the accent the form is wrong on paper.
Domani comprerò il regalo per il compleanno di mia sorella.
Tomorrow I'll buy the present for my sister's birthday.
Se trovo un'offerta buona, comprerò il biglietto del treno per Roma.
If I find a good deal, I'll buy the train ticket for Rome.
Quando compreremo casa, sarà una giornata indimenticabile.
The day we buy a house will be unforgettable.
Condizionale presente
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | comprerei |
| tu | compreresti |
| lui / lei / Lei | comprerebbe |
| noi | compreremmo |
| voi | comprereste |
| loro | comprerebbero |
Same comprer- stem as the future; standard -are conditional endings. Watch the 1pl trap: compreremmo (conditional, double m) vs compreremo (future, single m). This is the most common spelling slip in all of Italian conjugation.
The conditional is the polite verb of choice for shopping situations: Vorrei comprare..., Comprerei volentieri...
Comprerei quel divano, ma non entra in salotto.
I'd buy that sofa, but it doesn't fit in the living room.
Compreresti tu il latte mentre torni a casa?
Would you buy the milk on your way home?
Compreremmo volentieri una casa più grande, ma i prezzi a Milano sono assurdi.
We'd happily buy a bigger house, but prices in Milan are insane.
Congiuntivo presente
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| (che) io | compri |
| (che) tu | compri |
| (che) lui / lei | compri |
| (che) noi | compriamo |
| (che) voi | compriate |
| (che) loro | comprino |
The three singular forms collapse into compri — identical to the 2sg present indicative. Typical contexts: spero che tu compri..., voglio che lui compri..., è meglio che compriamo...
Spero che tu compri qualcosa di bello con i soldi del compleanno.
I hope you buy something nice with the birthday money.
È meglio che compriamo i biglietti adesso, prima che finiscano.
We'd better buy the tickets now, before they sell out.
Congiuntivo imperfetto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| (che) io | comprassi |
| (che) tu | comprassi |
| (che) lui / lei | comprasse |
| (che) noi | comprassimo |
| (che) voi | compraste |
| (che) loro | comprassero |
Standard -are imperfect subjunctive. Heavy use in counterfactual se-clauses with the conditional.
Se comprassi una macchina nuova, prenderei un'elettrica.
If I bought a new car, I'd get an electric one.
Pensavo che compraste a Genova, non a Milano.
I thought you guys did your shopping in Genoa, not in Milan.
Imperativo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | compra! |
| Lei (formal) | compri |
| noi | compriamo |
| voi | comprate |
| loro (formal pl., archaic) | comprino |
The tu imperative compra! is identical to the 3sg indicative — the standard -are pattern. Negative tu uses non + infinitive: non comprare!
Compra il pane mentre torni dal lavoro, per favore.
Buy some bread on your way back from work, please.
Non comprare quella roba, è di pessima qualità.
Don't buy that stuff, it's terrible quality.
Compri pure quello che le serve, signora.
Please go ahead and buy whatever you need, madam. (formal)
Forme non finite
| Form | Italian |
|---|---|
| Infinito presente | comprare |
| Infinito passato | avere comprato / aver comprato |
| Gerundio presente | comprando |
| Gerundio passato | avendo comprato |
| Participio passato | comprato |
Auxiliary is avere (comprare is transitive). The participle does not normally agree with the subject; it agrees with a preceding direct-object pronoun: l'ho comprata (her, fem.), li ho comprati (them, masc.).
Compound tenses
| Tense | io | noi |
|---|---|---|
| Passato prossimo | ho comprato | abbiamo comprato |
| Trapassato prossimo | avevo comprato | avevamo comprato |
| Trapassato remoto | ebbi comprato | avemmo comprato |
| Futuro anteriore | avrò comprato | avremo comprato |
| Condizionale passato | avrei comprato | avremmo comprato |
| Congiuntivo passato | abbia comprato | abbiamo comprato |
| Congiuntivo trapassato | avessi comprato | avessimo comprato |
Ho comprato i biglietti per il concerto sei mesi fa.
I bought the concert tickets six months ago.
Hai comprato il latte? — Sì, l'ho comprato stamattina.
Did you buy the milk? — Yes, I bought it this morning. (note participle agreement with l')
Se avessi comprato Bitcoin nel 2010, oggi sarei ricco.
If I'd bought Bitcoin in 2010, I'd be rich today.
The buying-someone-something construction
When you buy something for someone, Italian uses either a or per depending on emphasis:
- comprare qualcosa a qualcuno (with a) — the more compact, neutral construction
- comprare qualcosa per qualcuno (with per) — emphasises that the gift is for the person
Both are correct and both very common. A doubles as the marker of the indirect-object pronoun (gli, le, ci, mi), making clitic versions natural: gli ho comprato un libro ("I bought him a book"), ti compro un caffè ("I'll buy you a coffee").
Ho comprato un regalo a mio nipote per il suo compleanno.
I bought a present for my nephew for his birthday.
Ho comprato un regalo per mio nipote per il suo compleanno.
I bought a present for my nephew for his birthday. (with per — slightly more emphatic on the recipient)
Ti compro un gelato, va bene?
I'll buy you an ice cream, okay?
Le ho comprato un mazzo di rose per l'anniversario.
I bought her a bouquet of roses for the anniversary.
Comprare vs acquistare vs acquisire
These three are systematically confused — even by intermediate learners. The register and meaning differences are sharp:
| Verb | Register | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| comprare | everyday, neutral | any purchase, large or small | Ho comprato il pane. |
| acquistare | formal, written, commercial | deliberate purchase, often large; receipts, contracts, journalism | L'azienda ha acquistato un nuovo macchinario. |
| acquisire | formal, abstract | acquire (a company, a skill, citizenship, knowledge) | Ha acquisito la cittadinanza italiana. |
A native never says ho acquistato un caffè — that sounds robotic, the way I have purchased a coffee sounds in English. Save acquistare for receipt-and-contract contexts: Ho acquistato il bene in data 15/03/2025. Use comprare in conversation always.
Ho comprato un caffè per te al bar.
I bought you a coffee at the bar. (everyday)
L'azienda ha acquistato un palazzo nel centro di Milano.
The company purchased a building in central Milan. (commercial / formal)
Mio fratello ha acquisito molta esperienza lavorando all'estero.
My brother gained a lot of experience working abroad. (acquire = take on, develop)
Idioms and collocations with comprare
| Italian | Literal | Idiomatic English |
|---|---|---|
| comprare a buon mercato | buy at good market | buy cheap, on the cheap |
| comprare a buon prezzo | buy at good price | buy at a good price, get a deal |
| comprare a credito / a rate | buy on credit / in installments | buy on credit / pay in installments |
| comprare per due soldi / per quattro soldi | buy for two/four pennies | buy for peanuts, dirt cheap |
| comprare il silenzio (di qualcuno) | buy someone's silence | buy someone off, hush money |
| comprare a scatola chiusa | buy in a closed box | buy sight unseen, blind purchase |
| comprare un terno al lotto | buy a triple at the lottery | buy something on a long shot / a wild gamble |
| chi più spende meno spende | who spends more spends less | (proverb) you get what you pay for |
Ho comprato questa giacca a buon mercato ai saldi di gennaio.
I bought this jacket cheap at the January sales.
Abbiamo comprato la lavatrice a rate, paghiamo cinquanta euro al mese.
We bought the washing machine in installments, we pay fifty euros a month.
Ho comprato questo libro per due soldi al mercatino dell'usato.
I bought this book for peanuts at the second-hand market.
Hanno cercato di comprare il suo silenzio, ma lei ha parlato comunque.
They tried to buy her silence, but she spoke anyway.
Non comprare mai una macchina a scatola chiusa, falla sempre vedere a un meccanico.
Never buy a car sight unseen, always have a mechanic check it.
Common mistakes
❌ Compro per mio fratello un libro.
Awkward word order — Italian prefers the buy-something-for-someone order, not buy-for-someone-something.
✅ Compro un libro a / per mio fratello.
Correct — direct object first, then the beneficiary with a or per.
❌ Ho acquistato un panino al volo.
Wrong register — acquistare is too formal for an everyday food purchase.
✅ Ho comprato un panino al volo.
Correct — comprare is the everyday verb.
❌ Domani comprero il regalo.
Incorrect — the future 1sg requires the grave accent.
✅ Domani comprerò il regalo.
Correct — comprerò with mandatory grave accent.
❌ Comprerei una casa, ma non avrei i soldi.
Tense mismatch — counterfactuals use congiuntivo imperfetto + condizionale, not condizionale + condizionale.
✅ Comprerei una casa, ma non ho i soldi. / Comprerei una casa, se avessi i soldi.
Correct — present indicative for current reality, or imperfect subjunctive for the hypothetical condition.
❌ Hai comprato il pane? — Sì, ho comprato.
Incomplete — Italian requires a clitic pronoun to refer back to the object.
✅ Hai comprato il pane? — Sì, l'ho comprato.
Correct — l' (= il pane) is required, and the participle agrees with it: comprato (m. sing.).
Key takeaways
Comprare is a fully regular -are verb that follows the parlare paradigm exactly. Once you have parlare, you have comprare for free — no spelling tweaks, no irregularities.
Three points to internalise:
The stress on loro is rizotonic: compràno would be wrong; the correct form is còmprano (KOM-pra-no), stressed on the root.
The buy-for-someone construction takes a or per: compro un libro a Marco or compro un libro per Marco. With clitic pronouns, a dominates: gli compro un libro, ti compro un caffè.
Comprare is the everyday verb; acquistare is formal/written. Don't say acquistare in conversation — it sounds odd, the way purchase sounds in casual English. Acquisire is a different verb entirely (acquire abstractly: a skill, a company, citizenship).
For the parallel paradigm with the orthographic h-insertion that comes when the stem ends in a hard c or g, see pagare — the natural companion to comprare in shopping contexts.
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Open the Italian course →Related Topics
- Parlare: Full ConjugationA1 — Complete paradigm of parlare (to speak) — the canonical regular -are verb whose endings (-o, -i, -a, -iamo, -ate, -ano) are the model for thousands of Italian verbs.
- Pagare: Full ConjugationA1 — Complete paradigm of pagare (to pay) — a regular -gare verb with the orthographic h-insertion that preserves the hard /g/ before front vowels, with all conjugations and the spelling traps in the future and conditional.
- Presente: Regular -are VerbsA1 — How to conjugate the largest and most regular class of Italian verbs in the present indicative — and how to avoid the stress trap that gives away every learner.
- Avere: Full ConjugationA1 — Complete paradigm of avere (to have) across every tense and mood — the most-used verb in Italian and the auxiliary for the majority of compound tenses.