pagó
“pagó” means “he paid” in Spanish (referring to a male person).
he paid, she paid, you paid
Also: it paid off
📝 In Action
Él pagó la cuenta antes de salir del restaurante.
A1He paid the bill before leaving the restaurant.
¿Quién pagó el café? Fui yo.
A2Who paid for the coffee? It was me.
Usted pagó demasiado por ese coche usado.
B1You (formal) paid too much for that used car.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: pagó
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'pagó'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
The verb 'pagar' comes from the Latin word *pacare*, which originally meant 'to appease' or 'to satisfy.' Over time, this shifted to mean 'to satisfy a debt' or 'to settle a financial obligation,' giving us the modern meaning of 'to pay.'
First recorded: 10th century (in early Spanish/Iberian romance languages)
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'pagó' have an accent mark?
The accent mark on the 'o' is crucial because it indicates the stress falls on the last syllable, which is characteristic of the simple past tense (preterite) for 'él,' 'ella,' and 'usted' forms of -AR verbs. Without it, the word would be stressed on the first syllable and sound like 'pago' ('I pay').
Is 'pagó' used for both formal and informal 'you'?
It is used for the formal 'you' (usted). The informal 'you' (tú) form in the past is 'pagaste'.