cómpre
It Is Necessary: Cómpre
Cómpre means "it is necessary" or "one needs to": Cómpre estudar (One needs to study). To name who must act, use que + subjunctive: Cómpre que veñas (You need to come).
How It Works
Three patterns.
- + infinitive, a general need: Cómpre reservar mesa (You need to book a table).
- + que + subjunctive, a particular person: Cómpre que me axudes (I need you to help me). See the present subjunctive.
- + noun, something that is needed: Cómpre paciencia (Patience is needed). The noun is the subject, so a plural noun makes the verb plural: Cómpren dúas cadeiras máis (Two more chairs are needed).
Who needs it. An indirect object pronoun names the person: Cómpreme un coche (I need a car), Cómpreche descansar (You need to rest). After non the pronoun moves in front: Non me cómpre nada (I do not need anything). See indirect object pronouns.
The accent. Always write cómpre and cómpren with an accent. It tells them apart from compre and compren, forms of comprar (to buy). See the diacritic accent.
Two meanings of cumprir. The other cumprir means to carry out or to complete: Cumpre sempre o que promete (She always keeps her promises), Hoxe cumpro trinta anos (I turn thirty today). Only the "necessary" meaning has o and the accent in the present: cómpre, not cumpre.
Other tenses keep the u: cumpría (it was necessary), cumpriu (it was necessary, on one occasion), cumprirá (it will be necessary), cumpriría (it would be necessary): Cumpriría revisar o texto (The text would need checking).
Examples (6)
- Cómpre estudar todos os días.
You need to study every day.
Word by Word: Is-necessary study all the days.
With an infinitive, the need is general.
- Cómpre que veñas antes das nove.
You need to come before nine.
Word by Word: Is-necessary that come-you before of-the nine.
Que + subjunctive names the person who must act.
- Cómpreme un coche novo.
I need a new car.
Word by Word: Is-necessary-to-me a car new.
- Non che cómpre levar paraugas.
You do not need to take an umbrella.
Word by Word: Not to-you is-necessary take umbrella.
After non, the pronoun che goes before cómpre.
- Para esta receita cómpren tres ovos.
For this recipe you need three eggs.
Word by Word: For this recipe are-necessary three eggs.
A plural noun makes the verb plural: cómpren.
- Naquela época cumpría madrugar moito.
Back then people had to get up very early.
Word by Word: In-that time was-necessary get-up-early much.
Common Mistakes
Leaving out the accent.
Compre estudar máis.Cómpre estudar máis.Without the accent, compre is a form of comprar (to buy). The accent marks the verb that means "to be necessary".
Using cumpre, the form that means "fulfils".
Cumpre ter paciencia.Cómpre ter paciencia.Cumpre means "carries out" or "keeps" (a promise). For "it is necessary", the present is cómpre.
Keeping the verb singular with a plural noun.
Cómpre máis voluntarios.Cómpren máis voluntarios.When cómpre takes a noun, that noun is the subject, so the verb agrees with it, just as in fan falta dúas cadeiras.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Cómpre expresses a necessity with an infinitive, noun or subjunctive clause.
- hai que + InfinitiveOne Must: Hai Que
Know impersonal obligation with an infinitive.
Level 2 - fai faltaNeeding Something: Fai Falta
Know a needed thing as subject with an optional affected-person pronoun.
Level 2 - é importante que + SubjunctiveImpersonal Expressions with the Subjunctive
Know an impersonal evaluation introducing a subjunctive clause.
Level 3
Related Patterns
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice cómpre in Bubblegum
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