The verb to buy · Conjugation
Present Simple of buy
The answer: buy / buys
A1
Habits, routines and facts that are always true.
Quick answer
The Present Simple of the verb to buy is buy / buys.
Example: I buy bread every morning.
Full conjugation in the Present Simple
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| I | buy |
| You | buy |
| He / She / It | buys |
| We | buy |
| You (pl.) | buy |
| They | buy |
Common mistakes to avoid
1. He buy ❌
With he, she and it, the verb needs -s (or -es): he buys, she buys, it buys. The same is true with one person or one thing: my friend buys. This is one of the most common mistakes in English, so always check your verb.
2. Does she buys? ❌
In a question or a negative, the -s is already on does. So the main verb goes back to the base form: Does she buy…?, She doesn't buy. Never put -s on both verbs.
3. I am buy ❌
In the Present Simple, do not put am, is or are before the verb. Say I buy, not I am buy. A very common example is I am agree: say I agree. Use am, is or are with an -ing form (I am reading) or with an adjective (I am happy).
Practice quiz
Going further
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Frequently asked questions
How do you conjugate buy in the Present Simple?+
Use buy with I, you, we and they. Use buys with he, she and it: I buy, she buys. Only he, she and it change. All the other forms are the same.
When do you use the Present Simple of buy?+
Use the Present Simple for habits, routines and facts that are always true. Common signal words are every day, usually, often, always, sometimes and never. For an action happening right now, use the Present Continuous: I am buying.
Is it he buy or he buys?+
It is he buys. In the Present Simple, he, she and it add -s to the verb: buy → buys. This -s is easy to forget. Check the verb every time the subject is he, she, it or one person (my friend buys).
How do you make the negative of buy in the Present Simple?+
Use don't (do not) or doesn't (does not) + the base form. The base form is the verb with no to and no -s: I don't buy, she doesn't buy. English needs do or does to make the negative: I not buy is wrong.
How do you make a question with buy in the Present Simple?+
Use do or does + the subject + the base form: Do you buy…?, Does she buy…? After does, the main verb has no -s. In a short answer, repeat do or does: Yes, I do. / No, she doesn't.
Related pages: buy Present Simple
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/verbs/buy/present
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.
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More forms of the verb to buy are coming soon.