Past Tense of “buy”
The past simple of “buy” is “bought” and the past participle is “bought”. Below are the pronunciation, three example sentences, the mistake learners make most often, and a short drill to check yourself.
Forms of “buy”
buy – bought – bought
get something by paying for it
- Base form
- buy/baɪ/
- Past simple
- bought/bɔːt/
- Past participle
- bought/bɔːt/
- -ing form
- buying
- He / she / it
- buys
Pronunciation (US)
Quick practice
5 questions. Type the missing form.
Example sentences
Three everyday sentences that show how the forms are used.
Past simple
I bought a new laptop last week.
Past participle
Have you bought the tickets?
Passive
The company was bought by an investor.
The most common mistake
Wrong
I buyed some bread.
Correct
I bought some bread.
“Buy” is irregular: buy – bought – bought. Do not confuse “bought” with “brought” (from bring).
Verbs with the same pattern
Past = participle. Learn these together.