pagas
/PAH-gahs/
you pay
When you pay for something, you use the verb pagas (you pay).
pagas(verb)
you pay
?(Present Action, informal 'tú')
you are paying
?continuous action, informal 'tú'
,pay!
?(Affirmative command, informal 'tú')
📝 In Action
¿Con qué tarjeta pagas la comida?
A1Which card do you pay for the food with?
Si trabajas, pagas impuestos al gobierno.
A2If you work, you pay taxes to the government.
¡Pagas tú esta vez, yo pagué la anterior!
A2You pay this time, I paid the last one!
💡 Grammar Points
The 'Tú' Form
This verb form, 'pagas,' is used when you are speaking informally to a single person (a friend, family member, or child) about what they are doing right now or regularly.
Spelling Change in the Past
To keep the 'g' sound hard in the past tense (like 'gu' in 'guess'), the 'yo' form of the past tense changes the spelling to 'pagué' (I paid). This happens for all verbs ending in -gar.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Confusing 'Tú' and 'Usted'
Mistake: "Using 'pagas' when talking to a boss or a stranger."
Correction: Use 'paga' (the 'usted' form) when being formal or polite. 'Pagas' is only for casual situations.
⭐ Usage Tips
Asking How Someone Pays
When asking a friend how they will settle the bill, '¿Cómo pagas?' is the most natural and common way to ask.
As a noun, pagas refers to the wages you earn for your work.
pagas(noun)
wages
?money earned for work (plural)
,installments
?regular payments made over time (plural)
paychecks
?slang/informal
📝 In Action
Las pagas de verano son un buen alivio económico.
B1Summer wages are a good economic relief.
El coche se compra en 48 pagas mensuales.
B2The car is bought in 48 monthly installments.
Esperamos las pagas extras en diciembre.
B2We wait for the extra bonuses/payments in December.
💡 Grammar Points
Plural Noun Rule
This is the plural form of the singular noun 'la paga' (the pay). Since it ends in a vowel, you just add an 's' to make it plural.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Confusing Noun and Verb
Mistake: "Using 'las pagas' when you mean the action of paying."
Correction: Remember that 'pagas' (the noun) refers to the money itself, while 'pagas' (the verb) refers to the action of giving the money.
⭐ Usage Tips
Financial Context
The noun 'pagas' is often used in Spain, especially in reference to 'pagas extras' (extra payments, like a 13th or 14th month salary common there).
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: pagas
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'pagas' as a command (telling someone what to do)?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if 'pagas' means 'you pay' or 'wages'?
The context and the words around it tell you. If it has 'tú' implied or used with a verb structure (like 'Tú pagas'), it's the verb. If it has 'las' or 'unas' in front of it (like 'Las pagas son bajas'), it's the feminine plural noun meaning wages.
Is 'pagas' used for formal situations?
No. As a verb, 'pagas' uses the informal 'tú' form. For formal situations (talking to someone you call 'usted'), you must use the verb form 'paga'.