BROUGHT vs BOUGHT
The words bought and brought have very different meanings, but they are often confused—even by native English speakers.
Buy and bring are obviously different words. However, their past tense forms are only one letter apart. As such, it’s common to see bought and brought confused for each other.
How to Use BROUGHT
Brought is the past tense and past participle of the verb “bring“.
It means “to take or go with something or someone to a place“.
Brought examples:
- I brought him a glass of water.
- Alex brought a cup of coffee to his mother.
- He brought her breakfast in bed on a tray.
- The artist brought his paints with him.
- We brought home two bags of rice.
- The waiter brought the menu and the wine list.
How to Use BOUGHT
Bought is the past tense and past participle of the verb “buy“.
It means “to get something in exchange for money“.
Bought examples:
- I bought a new car last week.
- Have you bought a new TV yet?
- He bought the book from a second-hand store.
- I bought a brick of ice cream for Jimmy.
- We bought our house several years ago.
- Mary bought a bar of soap in the supermarket.
