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Conjugation Chart

“Pagar” (to pay) in the Present Tense

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Understanding the Present Tense of “Pagar”

The Present Tense of pagar is used to describe actions happening right now or habitual actions, for example: Pago la cuenta del restaurante. (I pay the restaurant bill.)

Pagar is a regular -ar verb, so its conjugations in the present tense follow the typical pattern for this verb type.

How to Use Pagar in the Present Tense

Pagar generally means to pay or settle a debt, but has several different meanings in the Present Tense, some of which might surprise you.

To pay money: For example, Yo pago la cuenta del restaurante. (I pay the restaurant bill.)

To suffer consequences: For example, Él paga por sus errores. (He pays for his mistakes.)

To be worth it (colloquial): For example, Paga la pena ir al cine esta noche. (It’s worth it to go to the movies tonight.)

To pay someone back (colloquial, rude): For example, Te pagaré por esa broma pesada. (I’ll get you back for that mean prank.)

Real Life Examples of Pagar in the Present Tense

Yo pago la cuenta del restaurante esta noche. (I’m paying the restaurant bill tonight.)

¿Cuánto pagas por el alquiler cada mes? (How much do you pay for rent each month?)

Mi hermana paga las facturas a tiempo. (My sister pays the bills on time.)

Nosotros pagamos el salario de nuestros empleados cada quincena. (We pay our employees’ salaries every two weeks.)

¿Ustedes pagan con tarjeta de crédito o en efectivo? (Do you pay with credit card or cash?)

Ellos pagan demasiado por ese servicio. (They pay too much for that service.)

En este restaurante, uno paga por la comida y las bebidas por separado. (At this restaurant, you pay for food and drinks separately.)

¿Cuánto pagáis por el internet cada mes? (How much do you pay for internet each month?)

Mis padres pagan la matrícula de la universidad para mis hermanos. (My parents pay the university tuition for my siblings.)

En esta tienda, uno paga al salir con las compras. (In this store, you pay when you leave with your purchases.)

¿Ustedes pagan el alquiler con cheque o transferencia bancaria? (Do you pay the rent by check or bank transfer?)

Nosotros pagamos un precio justo por los productos locales. (We pay a fair price for local products.)

Ellos pagan con tarjeta de débito para evitar deudas. (They pay with a debit card to avoid debt.)

¿Cuánto pagas por la suscripción del gimnasio al mes? (How much do you pay for the gym membership per month?)

Yo pago mis cuentas en línea para ahorrar tiempo. (I pay my bills online to save time.)

Conjugation Chart with English Translations

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

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

Synonyms

The Present tense is also known as the Simple Present, Present Simple, Present Tense, or Present Indicative in English, and as Presente de Indicativo, Presente Simple, Tiempo Presente, or Indicativo Presente in Spanish.