why is shopping ''ir de compras'' ? when ir means to go ?
help me to understand
5 Answers
"Ir de compras is not simply "Shopping" but "to go shopping."
Also "un día de compras" is "a day of shopping" or "a shopping day."
"Shopping" or "purchases" alone mean "compras" nothing more.
Hi and welcome to the forum.
It took me a minute, but now I understand your question. Ir de compras can mean to go shopping. But the act of going shopping, in spanish, can also be "Ir de compras." Sort of like "The going of shoppping", not that you would say that in English.
This is how I was taught:
El hombre está de compras en la joyería. The man is shopping in the jewelry store.
Está comprando joyas para su esposa. He is buying jewelry for his wife.
"Shopping" is, of course, completely different than "buying"... and I have often wondered why there is not a separate verb (in Spanish) for it.
" ir de compras" is shoppping as well as to go shopping because shopping is a verb to go shopping would also be the same because it is a verb as well. Did that help?
"Ir" is the verb. "Compras" is the noun. The verb form is "comprar," this is "to buy/purchase," not "to shop" or the gerund, "shopping." Continuous form "shopping" could possibly be "comprando" but it would sound very unnatural. It would be better to say "Estoy buscando ....." or just "Busco ...." ( "I´m shopping for ...") You are trying to translate word for word. It doesn't work here
" ir de compras" is shoppping as well as to go shopping because shopping is a verb to go shopping would also be the same because it is a verb as well. Did that help? 
