Learning Portuguese can be both exciting and challenging. Among the first things one needs to grasp are basic verbs that you will use frequently in everyday conversations. Two such verbs in Portuguese are comprar (to buy) and vender (to sell). Understanding how to use these verbs correctly is crucial for navigating markets, making purchases, and even having basic economic conversations in Portuguese.
First, let’s delve into the verb comprar. Comprar means to buy and is an essential verb that you will use in numerous situations. Here are some common examples of how to use it:
Eu quero comprar um carro. (I want to buy a car).
Você vai comprar alguma coisa na loja? (Are you going to buy something at the store?)
Ela comprou um livro ontem. (She bought a book yesterday).
As you can see, comprar is used similarly to the English verb to buy. It can be used with different subjects and tenses, and it is directly followed by the object being bought.
Now, let’s turn our attention to vender. Vender means to sell, which is the opposite of comprar. Here are some common ways to use this verb:
Eu quero vender meu carro. (I want to sell my car).
Você vai vender alguma coisa na feira? (Are you going to sell something at the market?)
Ela vendeu um livro ontem. (She sold a book yesterday).
Just like comprar, vender can be used with different subjects and tenses, and it is directly followed by the object being sold.
Now that we have covered the basics of these verbs, let’s explore their conjugations in different tenses.
Present tense of comprar:
Eu compro (I buy)
Tu compras (You buy, informal)
Ele/ela/você compra (He/she/you buy, formal)
Nós compramos (We buy)
Vós comprais (You all buy, archaic)
Eles/elas/vocês compram (They/you all buy)
Present tense of vender:
Eu vendo (I sell)
Tu vendes (You sell, informal)
Ele/ela/você vende (He/she/you sell, formal)
Nós vendemos (We sell)
Vós vendeis (You all sell, archaic)
Eles/elas/vocês vendem (They/you all sell)
Past tense of comprar:
Eu comprei (I bought)
Tu compraste (You bought, informal)
Ele/ela/você comprou (He/she/you bought, formal)
Nós compramos (We bought)
Vós comprastes (You all bought, archaic)
Eles/elas/vocês compraram (They/you all bought)
Past tense of vender:
Eu vendi (I sold)
Tu vendeste (You sold, informal)
Ele/ela/você vendeu (He/she/you sold, formal)
Nós vendemos (We sold)
Vós vendestes (You all sold, archaic)
Eles/elas/vocês venderam (They/you all sold)
Future tense of comprar:
Eu comprarei (I will buy)
Tu comprarás (You will buy, informal)
Ele/ela/você comprará (He/she/you will buy, formal)
Nós compraremos (We will buy)
Vós comprareis (You all will buy, archaic)
Eles/elas/vocês comprarão (They/you all will buy)
Future tense of vender:
Eu venderei (I will sell)
Tu venderás (You will sell, informal)
Ele/ela/você venderá (He/she/you will sell, formal)
Nós venderemos (We will sell)
Vós vendereis (You all will sell, archaic)
Eles/elas/vocês venderão (They/you all will sell)
In addition to these simple examples, both verbs can be used in various idiomatic expressions and phrases that enhance your command of the language.
For example:
Comprar gato por lebre (literally to buy a cat for a hare) means to be deceived or to buy something that is not as it appears.
Vender o peixe (literally to sell the fish) means to promote or sell something with enthusiasm.
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