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What’s the Past Tense of Buy? Brought or Bought?

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Elan Yash

Elan is head of design and tech. He's also a contributor at Grammarflex.

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Buy/bought in context.
Buy/bought in conversation.

What’s the past tense of “buy”? ‍

What’s the past tense of buy? The word and verb buy (sounds like by or bye, and are homophones) describes the action of getting something by paying for it . . . with money. Anyway, let’s begin with some elementary facts on the irregular verb buy:

👍🏼Usage Note
 
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He bought a souvenir from his trip.
✓
We have bought all the necessary equipment.
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I brought a new camera online.
✗
She bought her dog to the park.
  • Buy is an irregular verb; i.e., neither of its past verb forms end in “ed”.
  • Both the past tense and past participle forms of buy are bought.
  • Brought is the past tense and past participle of the verb bring—not buy.

  present past future
simple I buy I bought I will buy
continuous I am buying I was buying I will be buying
perfect I have bought I had bought I will have bought
perfect continuous I have been buying I had been buying I will have been buying
Verb tenses for “buy”.

present past past participle
teach taught taught
buy bought bought
bring brought brought
catch caught caught
seek sought sought
Irregular verb forms.

Bought as a past participle vs. past tense

Past tense Past participle
I bought it from a friend for £10. I have bought the cookies. (see more)

If bought is used in the same sentence as have/had (auxiliary verbs), then it is as a past participle. The same for the present participle with forms of ‘be’/’am’.

“Buy” and “Bought” used in sentences

Sentences with buy (present) Sentences with bought (past)
During the event on Feb. 10 and 11, those who buy a box can walk to participating businesses which will provide the chocolate.—Cathy Kozlowicz, Journal Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2023 He bought me a new coat.
He said it was a mistake, but I don’t buy it. He bought the quilt from a local artist.
These are the best ski helmets available to buy right now. Aaron H. Bible, Popular Mechanics, 10 Jan. 2023 She bought it off eBay for $50.
Stock prices are low, so now is a good time to buy. I bought this hat for $10.
And its slip-on loafer is perhaps the easiest one to buy on Amazon. Christian Gollayan, Men’s Health, 10 Jan. 2023 I bought my car second-hand.
💡Pro Grammar Tip

“buy” past tense is “bought,” visualize buying something with money, not bringing it.

Synonyms of buy

  • purchase
  • acquire
  • deal
  • pay
  • invest

Origin of the word buy

Of Germanic Origin
Middle English bien, from Old English bycgan “get by paying for, acquire the possession of in exchange for something of like value; redeem, ransom; procure; get done,” from Proto-Germanic *bugjan.
Etymology of “buy” (verb).

Learn more about grammar

Commonly misused words UK English vs. US English
former vs. latter burned or burnt?
bear vs. bare color or colour?
breathe vs. breath favorite vs. favourite
compliment vs. complement smelled or smelt?
affect vs. effect gray or grey?
elude vs. allude favor vs. favour
it’s or its analyze or analyse?

Worksheet: irregular verbs

Question 1 of 10

What is the simple past tense form of the verb “buy”?



According to the blog post, is “buy” considered a regular or irregular verb?



Both the simple past tense and the past participle forms of “buy” are the same word. What is it?



The word “brought” is the past tense and past participle form of which verb?



Which word is correctly used for the action of getting something by paying for it in the past tense?



She __________ a new dress from the store yesterday.



He __________ his own lunch to work today.



We have __________ all the tickets we need for the concert.



My brother __________ his new video game console with him when he visited.



I __________ this vintage chair from an antique shop.





 

FAQs

What’s the past tense of buy?
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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 difference: “bought” & “brought”?
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“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?
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No, the post states that “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?
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“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?
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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.

Yash, D. "What’s the Past Tense of Buy? Brought or Bought?." Grammarflex, Jun 20, 2025, https://www.grammarflex.com/is-it-brought-or-bought-whats-the-past-tense-of-buy/.

Sources

  1. Harper, Douglas. “Etymology of buy.” Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/buy. Accessed 14 January, 2023.

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