How to Say "you pay" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “you pay” is “pagas” — A1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
¿Con qué tarjeta pagas la comida?
Which card do you pay for the food with?
Si trabajas, pagas impuestos al gobierno.
If you work, you pay taxes to the government.
¡Pagas tú esta vez, yo pagué la anterior!
You pay this time, I paid the last one!
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.
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.
Related Translations
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