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Bought or Brought?
What Is the Difference between "Bought" and "Brought"?
"Bought" and "brought" are easily confused because they sound so similar.- "Bought" is the past tense of "to buy." For example:
- I bought a new laptop.
- "Brought" is the past tense of "to bring." For example:
- James brought the birthday cake to the restaurant this morning.

Bought
"Bought" is the simple past tense and past participle of the verb "to buy."Example sentences with "bought":
- I bought a seven-dollar pen because I always lose pens and I got sick of not caring.
(Comedian Mitch Hedberg)
(Here, "bought" is in the simple past tense.) - Men who have a pierced ear are better prepared for marriage - they have experienced pain and have bought jewelry.
(Comedian Rita Rudner)
(Here, "bought" is a past participle.)
Brought
"Brought" is the simple past tense and past participle of the verb "to bring."Example sentences with "brought":
- I brought the film like a flower to the world.
(Film director Claude Chabrol)
(Here, "brought" is in the simple past tense.)
- Great things are done by a series of small things that have been brought together.
(Artist Vincent Van Gogh)
(Here, "brought" is a past participle.)
Brought or Brung?
The past tense of "to bring" is "brought." "Brung" does not exist. It is a spelling mistake. "Brang" does not exist either. It is also a spelling mistake. This mistake is understandable when you consider the past forms of similar-looking verbs:verb | past tense | past participle |
---|---|---|
to ring | rang | rung |
to sing | sang | sung |
to bring | brought | brought |
Common Terms with "Bought" and "Brought"
Terms with "bought":- bought a car
- bought as seen
- bought the farm
- bought the dummy
- brought a smile to my face
- brought a tear to my eye
- brought down
- brought forward
- brought into question
- brought it up
- brought to bear
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