orden de compra
/oɾden de kompɾa/from spelling rulesfeminine
The English phrase 'purchase order' is translated into Spanish as orden de compra.
orden de compra is a feminine noun used specifically in formal commercial and accounting contexts to refer to the official document sent by a buyer to a seller.
Meaning: commercial document (noun)
Which one should you use?
Pedido is a formal way to express the concept of a purchase order. In less formal business contexts, people often simply use pedido to refer to an order or a purchase order.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Pedido is a formal way to say purchase order. Conversely, pedido is used as an informal or common way to refer to an order in business settings.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Chile, Peru and Ecuador, it is common to use orden de pedido or simply pedido to refer to a purchase order.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of orden de compra is las órdenes de compra. Note that the accent on the 'o' in órdenes is required by Spanish stress rules.
How do you pronounce it?
/oɾden de kompɾa/
Did you know?
- In many Latin American countries, if you ask for an orden, you might be asking for a 'command' or a 'commandment' rather than a commercial order.
- Although orden has no accent in the singular, the plural órdenes requires one to maintain the original stress of the word.
- Depending on the context, pedido can shift from being a formal commercial term to a common way to describe a simple request in a restaurant or shop.
Examples in context
- Hola, quisiera hacer una orden de compra por los productos que necesito.Hello, I would like to place a purchase order for the products I need.
- Necesito una orden de compra para este pedido.I need a purchase order for this order.
- La orden de compra ya fue enviada por correo.The purchase order has already been sent by email.
- Por favor, revise los detalles en la orden de compra.Please review the details in the purchase order.
Example conversation
Lucía and Mateo are discussing a pending shipment in an office.
- LucíaMateo, ¿tienes la orden de compra de este cliente?Mateo, do you have the purchase order for this client?
- MateoNo, todavía no la he recibido.No, I haven't received it yet.
- LucíaEs urgente para poder procesar el envío.It is urgent so we can process the shipment.
- MateoVoy a preguntar por ella ahora mismo.I will ask about it right now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “purchase order” translations and entries orden de compra, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
