Learn Spanish (Latin America): Compré un par de zapatos.

Compré un par de zapatos.

I bought a pair of shoes.

Breakdown of Compré un par de zapatos.

the pair (also "a couple of")

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Questions & Answers about Compré un par de zapatos.

How does "un par de" relate to phrases like "la mitad de" from this lesson?

Just like la mitad (half) or el doble (double), un par (a pair) is a noun that expresses a specific quantity. Because it acts as a noun, you must use the preposition de (of) to connect it to the item you are measuring or counting, which in this case is zapatos.

Can "un par de" be used to mean "a few" just like "a couple of" does in English?

Yes! While in this sentence it literally means two shoes, un par de is very commonly used in everyday Spanish to mean "a few." For instance, un par de días usually means three or four days, rather than exactly two.

Why isn't there an article before "zapatos", like "un par de los zapatos"?

After quantity phrases connected by de, you don't use the definite article (el, la, los, las) when referring to the item in a general sense. You would only say un par de los zapatos if you were saying "a pair of the shoes" (referring to a specific, previously mentioned group of shoes).

Why is there an accent mark on "Compré"?

Compré is the preterite (completed past) tense of the regular verb comprar for the "yo" (I) form. Regular -ar verbs always take an accented -é in this form. The accent ensures the spoken stress lands on the final syllable, which distinguishes it from other tenses.