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paga

PAH-gah/ˈpaɣa/

“paga” means “pay” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

pay, wages

Also: salary, installment
NounfA2
SpainMexico/Central America
A small neat stack of colorful paper money and several gold coins resting on a plain wooden table, representing earned salary or wages.

📝 In Action

Mi paga mensual llega el día 25.

A2

My monthly pay arrives on the 25th.

Les dieron una paga extra por el trabajo nocturno.

B1

They gave them extra wages for the night work.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • recibir la paga – to receive pay
  • subir la paga – to raise the pay

pays, pay!

Also: is paying
VerbA1regular (with minor spelling change) ar
A close-up view of two hands engaged in a transaction. One hand is extending a single gold coin toward the other open hand, illustrating the act of paying.
infinitivepagar
gerundpagando
past Participlepagado

📝 In Action

Mi hermano siempre paga la cena.

A1

My brother always pays for dinner.

¡Paga lo que debes y vámonos!

B1

Pay what you owe and let's go!

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • abonar (to pay/subscribe)
  • liquidar (to settle a debt)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • paga en efectivo – pays in cash
  • paga con tarjeta – pays by card

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedpaga
yopago
túpagas
ellos/ellas/ustedespagan
nosotrospagamos
vosotrospagáis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedpagaba
yopagaba
túpagabas
ellos/ellas/ustedespagaban
nosotrospagábamos
vosotrospagabais

preterite

él/ella/ustedpagó
yopagué
túpagaste
ellos/ellas/ustedespagaron
nosotrospagamos
vosotrospagasteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedpague
yopague
túpagues
ellos/ellas/ustedespaguen
nosotrospaguemos
vosotrospaguéis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedpagara
yopagara
túpagaras
ellos/ellas/ustedespagaran
nosotrospagáramos
vosotrospagarais
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "paga" in Spanish:

installment→is paying→pay→pays→salary→wages→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: paga

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence uses 'paga' as a noun (meaning pay/salary)?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
vagatraga
📚 Etymology▼

The word comes from the Latin verb *pacare*, which originally meant 'to pacify' or 'to satisfy'. This suggests that paying someone off was seen as satisfying their demands or making peace with them.

First recorded: c. 13th century (in its current form)

Cognates (Related words)

Italian: pagareFrench: payer

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'paga' the same as 'pago'?

They are related but different. 'Paga' (feminine noun) usually refers to the wages, salary, or allowance itself (the money you receive). 'Pago' (masculine noun) refers to the action of paying or the payment transaction itself (the act of paying a bill). You receive your *paga*, but you make a *pago*.