pagar
/pah-gahr/
to pay
Pagar: To pay (exchanging money for goods or services).
pagar(Verb)
to pay
?exchanging money for goods or services
to pay for
?specifying the item being bought
📝 In Action
¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta de crédito?
A1Can I pay with a credit card?
Tengo que pagar el alquiler mañana.
A2I have to pay the rent tomorrow.
Yo pagué la cuenta la última vez, ahora te toca a ti.
A2I paid the bill last time, now it's your turn.
💡 Grammar Points
The 'g' to 'gu' Spelling Change
To keep the hard 'g' sound (like in 'go'), the spelling changes before an 'e'. That's why 'yo' in the preterite is 'pagué', not 'pagé'.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using 'por' Like 'for'
Mistake: "Quiero pagar por la cena."
Correction: Quiero pagar la cena. In Spanish, you usually don't need 'por' to say what you're paying for. You use 'por' to say *why* you're paying or how much: 'Pagué 20 euros por la cena'.
⭐ Usage Tips
Paying a Person
When you pay a person directly, you need to add 'a'. For example, 'Le pagué al camarero' (I paid the waiter).
Pagar por: To pay for (suffering the consequences of an action).
pagar(Verb)
to pay for
?suffering the consequences of an action
to atone for
?making amends for a misdeed
📝 In Action
Tarde o temprano, vas a pagar por tus mentiras.
B1Sooner or later, you're going to pay for your lies.
Pagó su crimen con veinte años de prisión.
B2He paid for his crime with twenty years in prison.
¡Me las vas a pagar!
B2You're going to pay for this!
⭐ Usage Tips
Using 'por' for a Reason
Unlike with money, in this figurative sense, you almost always use 'por' to connect the action to its consequence. For example, 'pagar por tus errores' (to pay for your mistakes).
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
preterite
imperfect
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: pagar
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'pagar' in a figurative way (not about money)?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between 'pagar' and 'costar'?
'Pagar' is the action a person does (to pay), while 'costar' is what an item does (to cost). You would say, 'Yo pago veinte euros' (I pay twenty euros), but 'El libro cuesta veinte euros' (The book costs twenty euros).
When do I use 'pagar por' versus just 'pagar'?
It's simple! When you're talking about the item you bought, you usually don't need 'por': 'Pagué el café' (I paid for the coffee). You use 'por' to give a reason or a price: 'Pagué 2 euros por el café' (I paid 2 euros for the coffee) or 'Te pago por tu ayuda' (I'm paying you for your help).