comparálo

Comparálo is the imperative form of the Spanish verb comparar used in the voseo dialect common in parts of Argentina and Uruguay. It translates to “compare it” in English, typically addressing someone informally as vos. The base verb is comparar, and the affirmative vos imperative is compará. When the direct object pronoun lo is attached, the result is comparálo, a single word that means “compare it.”

Linguistically, comparálo combines the vos form compará with the clitic lo. The accent on the final syllable of compará is a feature of the voseo conjugation, and the pronoun lo is appended to form a compound word. This construction contrasts with the tú form of the imperative in other dialects, such as compara, and with the standard usted form compare, which would appear with the pronoun in separate words in most contexts.

Usage and regional notes: Comparálo is typical in informal speech and everyday writing in Rioplatense Spanish-speaking regions that practice voseo, especially Argentina and Uruguay. In dialects that do not use voseo, the corresponding forms would be comparelo (tú) or comparelo/comparelo (usted), often written as two words or with different pronunciation. The expression is commonly found in conversations, advertisements, and instructions where a direct command to compare is appropriate.

Examples: Comparálo con las otras opciones para ver cuál es más económico. Comparálo antes de tomar una decisión.

See also: Voseo, Spanish grammar, Direct object pronouns.