compraron

Compraron is the third person plural form of the Spanish verb comprar in the pretérito indefinido (also called pretérito simple or pasado simple). It means “they bought” and, in many dialects, also serves for “you (plural) bought” when referring to ustedes in the past.

Comprar is a regular -ar verb. In the pretérito indefinido the endings are -é, -aste, -ó, -amos, -asteis, -aron. Therefore, the form for ellos, ellas, and ustedes is compraron, built from the stem compr- plus the ending -aron. The corresponding other forms are, for example, compré (yo), compraste (tú), compró (él/ella/usted), compramos (nosotros/as), and comprasteis (vosotros/as).

Usage-wise, compraron describes a completed action in the past and is used in narrative or factual statements about past purchases or events. It contrasts with the imperfect comprar (compraban), which would describe ongoing, habitual, or background past actions.

Examples:

- Ayer, ellos compraron una casa. (Yesterday they bought a house.)

- ¿Qué hicieron ustedes?—Compraron regalos para la fiesta.

Related forms include present tense compran (they buy), imperfect compraban (they were buying / they used to buy), and perfect tenses like han comprado (they have bought). Compraron is one of the most common past-tense forms in everyday Spanish to narrate past purchases or completed actions by multiple subjects.