fuimos de compras
/fwimos de kompɾas/from spelling rules
To say we shopped in Spanish, use fuimos de compras.
fuimos de compras means we went shopping. Fuimos de compras al mercado. means we went shopping at the market.
What does it mean word for word?
fuimos is the past of the verb for to go, and de compras means shopping, so the phrase is literally we went of purchases.
Which one should you use?
compramos focuses on buying things, as in Compramos ropa en la tienda. (we shopped for clothes at the store). Hicimos compras is another way to say it. Salimos de shopping is informal.
How does it change in a sentence?
fuimos is the first person plural preterite, showing an action completed in the past.
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, 'shopping' is not just buying, but a social ritual known as vitrinear or ir de escaparates, meaning to look at window displays without intending to buy.
- In Spain, the phrase ir de tiendas is a very common way to say 'to go shopping', specifically referring to browsing through various shops.
- The word de in the phrase fuimos de compras descends from the Latin preposition dē, which originally indicated movement from a position or a separation from something.
Examples in context
- Ayer fuimos de compras al centro comercial.Yesterday we shopped at the mall.
- Fuimos de compras para la fiesta.We shopped for the party.
- Nos cansamos porque fuimos de compras todo el día.We got tired because we shopped all day.
Example conversation
Elena and Javier are talking about their weekend.
- ElenaElena, ¿qué hiciste el sábado?Elena, what did you do on Saturday?
- JavierFuimos de compras con mi hermana.We shopped with my sister.
- Elena¿Compraste algo bonito?Did you buy something nice?
- JavierSí, compré un vestido rojo.Yes, I bought a red dress.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, CC BY-SA 4.0.
