A close-up view of a simplified human hand dropping a single gold coin into a small, empty wooden cash box, symbolizing a completed transaction or payment.

pagué

pah-GAY

Verb (Conjugated Form)A1Regular with spelling change ar

I paid?Referring to a past financial transaction

Also:I settled (the bill/account)?Formal or business context

Quick Reference

infinitivepagar

gerundpagando

past Participlepagado

📝 In Action

Pagué el café y salí de la tienda.

I paid for the coffee and left the store.

¿Viste? Yo pagué toda la cena anoche.

Did you see? I paid for the whole dinner last night.

Pagué la multa inmediatamente para evitar problemas.

I paid the fine immediately to avoid problems.

Word Connections

Synonyms

aboné (I subscribed / I credited)
saldé (I settled (a debt))

Antonyms

debí (I owed)

Common Collocations

pagué en efectivo – I paid in cash
pagué con tarjeta – I paid by card

💡 Grammar Points

The 'Yo' Preterite Spelling Change

Verbs that end in -gar (like 'pagar') must change the 'g' to 'gu' only in the 'yo' form of the past tense (preterite). This keeps the hard 'g' sound (like the 'g' in 'go'). You must write 'pagué', not 'pagé'.

Completed Past Action

Use 'pagué' when the action of paying is completely finished and done at a specific point in the past. For example, 'I paid the bill yesterday.'

❌ Common Pitfalls

Forgetting the 'u'

Mistake: "Yo pagé el taxi."

Correction: Yo pagué el taxi. (The 'u' is needed to maintain the correct sound.)

⭐ Usage Tips

Financial vs. Non-Financial

'Pagué' is almost always used for money or debts. If you want to say 'I paid attention,' you must use 'presté atención.'

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: pagué

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses 'pagué' to describe a completed event?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

pagar(to pay) - verb

el pago(the payment) - noun

pagadero(payable) - adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does 'pagar' change to 'pagué' and not 'pagé' in the 'yo' past tense?

This is purely about keeping the right sound! In Spanish, 'ga' and 'go' have a hard sound (like the 'g' in 'go'), but 'ge' and 'gi' have a soft sound (like the 'h' in 'house' in Spanish). To keep the hard 'g' sound when followed by the vowel 'e', Spanish must add a silent 'u', making it 'gu' (pagué).

When should I use 'pagué' versus 'pagaba'?

'Pagué' (the preterite) is for actions that are finished and done (e.g., 'I paid the ticket yesterday'). 'Pagaba' (the imperfect) is for repeated or continuous actions in the past (e.g., 'I used to pay in cash,' or 'I was paying the bill when the phone rang').