The English verb "buy" means "to purchase, to acquire" in English. It is an irregular verb. Below you'll find the complete conjugation tables for "buy" across all 5 tenses. New to English verbs? Start with the English verb guide.
Jump to a tense
How to Conjugate "buy" in the Present Tense
Simple Present Actions happening now or regularly| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| I | I | buy |
| you | you (singular) | buy |
| he/she/it | he/she/it | buys |
| we | we | buy |
| you | you (plural) | buy |
| they | they | buy |
She buys bread at the bakery.
say it BYZ
She buys bread at the bakery.
In other languages
- French Elle achète du pain à la boulangerie.
- German Sie kauft Brot in der Bäckerei.
- Spanish Ella compra pan en la panadería.
- Dutch Zij koopt brood bij de bakker.
I buy fresh fruit every week.
say it BY
I buy fresh fruit every week.
In other languages
- French J'achète des fruits frais chaque semaine.
- German Ich kaufe jede Woche frisches Obst.
- Spanish Compro fruta fresca cada semana.
- Dutch Ik koop elke week vers fruit.
How to Conjugate "buy" in the Past Tense
Simple Past Actions that happened in the past| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| I | I | bought |
| you | you (singular) | bought |
| he/she/it | he/she/it | bought |
| we | we | bought |
| you | you (plural) | bought |
| they | they | bought |
She bought a gift for her mom.
say it BAWT
She bought a gift for her mom.
In other languages
- French Elle a acheté un cadeau pour sa mère.
- German Sie hat ein Geschenk für ihre Mutter gekauft.
- Spanish Ella compró un regalo para su madre.
- Dutch Zij heeft een cadeau voor haar moeder gekocht.
I bought a new shirt today.
say it BAWT
I bought a new shirt today.
In other languages
- French J'ai acheté une nouvelle chemise aujourd'hui.
- German Ich habe heute ein neues Hemd gekauft.
- Spanish Compré una camisa nueva hoy.
- Dutch Ik heb vandaag een nieuw overhemd gekocht.
Want to actually remember these?
VerbPal drills "buy" in real English sentences using spaced repetition.
Try VerbPal FreeHow to Conjugate "buy" in the Future Tense
Simple Future Actions that will happen| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| I | I | will buy |
| you | you (singular) | will buy |
| he/she/it | he/she/it | will buy |
| we | we | will buy |
| you | you (plural) | will buy |
| they | they | will buy |
She will buy tickets for the show.
say it She will BY
She will buy tickets for the show.
In other languages
- French Elle achètera des billets pour le spectacle.
- German Sie wird Tickets für die Show kaufen.
- Spanish Ella comprará entradas para el espectáculo.
- Dutch Zij zal kaartjes voor de show kopen.
I will buy some fresh fruit today.
say it I will BY
I will buy some fresh fruit today.
In other languages
- French J'achèterai des fruits frais aujourd'hui.
- German Ich werde heute etwas frisches Obst kaufen.
- Spanish Compraré fruta fresca hoy.
- Dutch Ik zal vandaag wat vers fruit kopen.
How to Conjugate "buy" in the Present (-ing) Tense
Present Continuous Actions happening right now| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| I | I | am buying |
| you | you (singular) | are buying |
| he/she/it | he/she/it | is buying |
| we | we | are buying |
| you | you (plural) | are buying |
| they | they | are buying |
She is buying gifts for friends.
say it She is BUY-ing
She is buying gifts for friends.
In other languages
- French Elle est en train d'acheter des cadeaux pour des amis.
- German Sie kauft gerade Geschenke für Freunde.
- Spanish Ella está comprando regalos para amigos.
- Dutch Zij is cadeaus voor vrienden aan het kopen.
I am buying fresh fruit today.
say it I am BUY-ing
I am buying fresh fruit today.
In other languages
- French J'achète des fruits frais aujourd'hui.
- German Ich kaufe heute frisches Obst.
- Spanish Estoy comprando fruta fresca hoy.
- Dutch Ik koop vandaag vers fruit.
How to Conjugate "buy" in the Have done Tense
Present Perfect Actions completed with present relevance| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| I | I | have bought |
| you | you (singular) | have bought |
| he/she/it | he/she/it | has bought |
| we | we | have bought |
| you | you (plural) | have bought |
| they | they | have bought |
She has bought a nice dress.
say it SHEE-uz BAWT
She has bought a nice dress.
In other languages
- French Elle a acheté une belle robe.
- German Sie hat ein schönes Kleid gekauft.
- Spanish Ella ha comprado un vestido bonito.
- Dutch Zij heeft een mooie jurk gekocht.
I have bought a new car.
say it AY-uv BAWT
I have bought a new car.
In other languages
- French J'ai acheté une nouvelle voiture.
- German Ich habe ein neues Auto gekauft.
- Spanish He comprado un coche nuevo.
- Dutch Ik heb een nieuwe auto gekocht.
Frequently Asked Questions About "buy"
Is "buy" regular or irregular in English?
"Buy" is an irregular English verb, meaning its conjugation does not follow standard patterns and must be memorized individually.
What does "buy" mean in English?
The English verb "buy" means "to purchase, to acquire" in English.
How do you conjugate "buy" in the present tense?
In the present tense (Simple Present): I → buy, you → buy, he/she/it → buys, we → buy, you → buy, they → buy.
How many tenses does "buy" have in English?
"Buy" is conjugated across 5 tenses in English: Present, Past, Future, Present (-ing), Have done.
Master English verbs for real
Stop memorizing tables. Start speaking with confidence.
Try VerbPal Free3-day free trial. Cancel anytime.