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Conjugation Chart

“Pagar” (to pay) in the Imperfect Tense

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Understanding the Imperfect Tense of “Pagar”

The Imperfect Tense of pagar is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, for example, Yo pagaba la renta cada mes. (I paid the rent every month.)

Pagar is a regular -ar verb, so its Imperfect conjugations follow the typical pattern for that verb type.

How to Use Pagar in the Imperfect Tense

The imperfect tense of pagar is used to describe ongoing, repeated, or habitual actions in the past.

Paying a recurring bill: For example, Pagaba la renta cada mes. (I used to pay the rent every month.)

Describing past habits or routines: For example, De niño, pagaba por todo con mis ahorros. (As a child, I used to pay for everything with my savings.)

Expressing an action in progress in the past: For example, Estaba pagando la factura cuando sonó el timbre. (I was paying the bill when the doorbell rang.)

Idiomatic usage: La pagó can mean “he/she paid the consequences” or “he/she got what was coming to them” in a figurative sense.

Real Life Examples of Pagar in the Imperfect Tense

Yo pagaba la renta todos los meses sin falta. (I paid the rent every month without fail.)

Ellos pagaban las cuentas con el dinero que ganaban. (They paid the bills with the money they earned.)

Tú pagabas demasiado por ese servicio. (You paid too much for that service.)

Nosotros pagábamos la matrícula universitaria con mucho esfuerzo. (We paid the university tuition with great effort.)

Vosotros pagabais la cuenta de la cena cada vez que salíamos. (You (plural) paid the dinner bill every time we went out.)

Ella pagaba las facturas de servicios públicos religiosamente. (She paid the utility bills religiously.)

Ustedes pagaban el alquiler con retraso algunas veces. (You (plural) paid the rent late sometimes.)

Él pagaba las deudas poco a poco, con mucha disciplina. (He paid off the debts little by little, with great discipline.)

¿Pagabas tus impuestos a tiempo? (Did you pay your taxes on time?)

Mis padres pagaban la hipoteca de la casa con mucho sacrificio. (My parents paid the mortgage on the house with great sacrifice.)

Yo pagaba la suscripción al gimnasio cada mes, aunque no iba muy seguido. (I paid the gym membership every month, even though I didn’t go very often.)

Ellas pagaban las clases de baile con gusto. (They paid for the dance classes gladly.)

Tú pagabas la cuenta de la luz con retraso a veces. (You paid the electricity bill late sometimes.)

Vosotros pagabais el recibo del gas puntualmente. (You (plural) paid the gas bill promptly.)

Nosotros pagábamos el seguro del coche anualmente. (We paid the car insurance annually.)

Conjugation Chart with English Translations

Conjugations of Pagar (to pay) in the Imperfect Tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Castilian Spanish. For Latin American Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Imperfect tense is also known as the Past Imperfect, Descriptive Past, Past Progressive, or Imperfect Indicative in English, and as Pretérito Imperfecto, Copretérito, Imperfecto de Indicativo, or Pasado Descriptivo in Spanish.