What's the past tense of "buy"?
The simple past tense of buy is bought, and the past participle is also bought. Use bought for both simple past and past participle forms.
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He bought a souvenir from his trip.
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We have bought all the necessary equipment.
Verb forms of 'buy'
I/you/they buy • He/she/it buys
I/you/they bought • He/she/it bought
I/you/they will buy • He/she/it buy
I am/you are buying • He/she/it is buying
I was/you were buying • He/she/it was buying
I/you will be buying • He/she/it will be buying
I/you have bought • He/she/it has bought
I/you had bought • He/she/it had bought
I/you will have bought • He/she/it will have bought
Similar irregular verbs
buy
Past:
bought
Past part:
bought
teach
Past:
taught
Past part:
taught
catch
Past:
caught
Past part:
caught
seek
Past:
sought
Past part:
sought
When to use bought vs. bought
I bought a new car yesterday.
We have bought all the necessary equipment.
Use bought for the simple past tense and bought as the past participle with auxiliary verbs like "have," "has," or "had".
Sentence examples: buy, bought, bought
Buy (present tense)
Examples:
• I buy groceries every week.
• She buys books online.
• We buy fresh vegetables at the market.
Bought (past simple)
Examples:
• I bought a new car yesterday.
• She bought a house last year.
• We bought tickets for the concert.
Bought (past participle)
Examples:
• We have bought all the necessary equipment.
• They had bought the tickets before we arrived.
Synonyms for "buy"
Synonyms: purchase, acquire, deal, pay, invest, procure, obtain, secure, get, take
FAQs
What's the past tense of buy?
The past tense of the irregular verb "buy" is "bought." Unlike regular verbs, it does not end in "ed." "Bought" describes the action of getting something by paying money for it.
What's the difference: "bought" & "brought"?
"Bought" is the past tense and past participle of "buy" (to purchase). "Brought" is the past tense and past participle of "bring" (to transport). Using them interchangeably is incorrect.
Is "buy" a regular verb?
No, "buy" is an irregular verb. Irregular verbs do not form their past tense by adding "ed"; both the simple past and past participle forms of "buy" are "bought."
When is "bought" past participle?
"Bought" is used as a past participle when it appears in a sentence with auxiliary verbs like "have" or "had." An example from the post is: "We have bought all the necessary equipment."
How to avoid "bought"/"brought" mix-up?
Remember that "bought" is related to "buy" (paying for something), and "brought" is related to "bring" (transporting something). Visualize the action of buying with money versus bringing something.
Sources
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Harper, Douglas. "Etymology of buy." Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/buy. Accessed 14 January, 2023.
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