Pagar Conjugation in Spanish, Translation and Examples

The Spanish verb  pagar  means to pay. Since pagar is an -ar  verb, it is conjugated with the same pattern as other regular -ar verbs like  necesitar, evitar,  and desayunar. However, you should note that pagar has a spelling change in some of its conjugations. Whenever the g sound is followed by the vowel e, you must add a u in between to maintain the hard g sound, like in pague and paguemos. This article provides the conjugations for  pagar  in the present, past, and future indicative, the present and past subjunctive, the imperative, as well as other verb forms. Using the Verb Pagar The verb pagar can be used in most of the same contexts when you would use the verb to pay in English, with the meaning of giving money in exchange for something. For example, you can talk about paying your bills (pagar las cuentas), to pay a debt (pagar una deuda), pay with cash (pagar con efectivo), and pay for food (pagar por la comida).You can even talk about paying as in taking revenge like in he will pay for his actions (à ©l pagarà ¡ por sus acciones). However, there are some contexts in which the verb to pay does not translate to pagar in Spanish. For example, to pay a visit in Spanish is simply visitar or pasar a visitar, to pay a compliment is hacer un cumplido, and to pay attention is poner or prestar atencià ³n. Present Indicative Yo pago Yo pago las cuentas a tiempo. I pay the bills on time. Tà º pagas Tà º pagas en efectivo en la tienda. You pay in cash at the store. Usted/à ©l/ella paga Ella paga por la comida. She pays for the food. Nosotros pagamos Nosotros pagamos $100 por el boleto. We pay $100 for the ticket. Vosotros pagà ¡is Vosotros pagà ¡is las deudas de vuestra familia. You pay your family's debts. Ustedes/ellos/ellas pagan Ellos pagan un buen salario a sus empleados. They pay a good salary to their employees. Preterite  Indicative The  preterite  tense is used to talk about actions that were completed in the past. Notice the spelling change that occurs in the yo form of the preterite tense, paguà ©. Yo paguà © Yo paguà © las cuentas a tiempo. I paid the bills on time. Tà º pagaste Tà º pagaste en efectivo en la tienda. You paid in cash at the store. Usted/à ©l/ella pagà ³ Ella pagà ³ por la comida. She paid for the food. Nosotros pagamos Nosotros pagamos $100 por el boleto. We paid $100 for the ticket. Vosotros pagasteis Vosotros pagasteis las deudas de vuestra familia. You paid your family's debts. Ustedes/ellos/ellas pagaron Ellos pagaron un buen salario a sus empleados. They paid a good salary to their employees. Imperfect  Indicative The imperfect tense is used to talk about ongoing actions in the past, and it can be translated to English as was paying or used to pay.   Yo pagaba Yo pagaba las cuentas a tiempo. I used to pay the bills on time. Tà º pagabas Tà º pagabas en efectivo en la tienda. You used to pay in cash at the store. Usted/à ©l/ella pagaba Ella pagaba por la comida. She used to pay for the food. Nosotros pagà ¡bamos Nosotros pagà ¡bamos $100 por el boleto. We used to pay $100 for the ticket. Vosotros pagabais Vosotros pagabais las deudas de vuestra familia. You used to pay your family's debts. Ustedes/ellos/ellas pagaban Ellos pagaban un buen salario a sus empleados. They used to pay a good salary to their employees. Future  Indicative Yo pagarà © Yo pagarà © las cuentas a tiempo. I will pay the bills on time. Tà º pagarà ¡s Tà º pagarà ¡s en efectivo en la tienda. You will pay in cash at the store. Usted/à ©l/ella pagarà ¡ Ella pagarà ¡por la comida. She will pay for the food. Nosotros pagaremos Nosotros pagaremos $100 por el boleto. We will pay $100 for the ticket. Vosotros pagarà ©is Vosotros pagarà ©is las deudas de vuestra familia. You will pay your family's debts. Ustedes/ellos/ellas pagarà ¡n Ellos pagarà ¡nun buen salario a sus empleados. They will pay a good salary to their employees. Periphrastic Future The periphrastic future is usually translated to English as going to verb. Yo voy a pagar Yo voya pagar las cuentas a tiempo. I am going to pay the bills on time. Tà º vasa pagar Tà º vasa pagar en efectivo en la tienda. You aregoing to pay in cash at the store. Usted/à ©l/ella vaa pagar Ella vaa pagar por la comida. She isgoing to pay for the food. Nosotros vamosa pagar Nosotros vamosa pagar $100 por el boleto. We aregoing to pay $100 for the ticket. Vosotros vaisa pagar Vosotros vaisa pagar las deudas de vuestra familia. You aregoing to pay your family's debts. Ustedes/ellos/ellas vana pagar Ellos vana pagar un buen salario a sus empleados. They aregoing to pay a good salary to their employees. Conditional  Indicative The conditional is usually translated to English as would verb. Yo pagarà ­a Yo pagarà ­a las cuentas a tiempo si no se me olvidara. I would pay the bills on time if I didn't forget. Tà º pagarà ­as Tà º pagarà ­as en efectivo en la tienda si tuvieras el dinero. You would pay in cash at the store if you had the money. Usted/à ©l/ella pagarà ­a Ella pagarà ­apor la comida si pudiera. She would pay for the food if she could. Nosotros pagarà ­amos Nosotros pagarà ­amos $100 por el boleto, pero es muy caro. We would pay $100 for the ticket, but it's too expensive. Vosotros pagarà ­ais Vosotros pagarà ­ais las deudas de vuestra familia, pero no es justo. You would pay your family's debts, but it's not fair. Ustedes/ellos/ellas pagarà ­an Ellos pagarà ­anun buen salario a sus empleados si trabajaran mà ¡s. They would pay a good salary to their employees if they worked more. Present Progressive/Gerund Form To form the present  participle, or gerund  of  -ar  verbs, just add the ending -ando. This verb form can be used to form  progressive verb forms  such as the  present progressive. Present Progressive ofPagar està ¡ pagando Ella està ¡ pagando por la comida. She is paying for the food. Past Participle To form the  past participle of  -ar  verbs, simply add the ending -ado. This verb form can be used to form  compound tenses  like the  present perfect. Present Perfect ofPagar ha pagado Ella ha pagado por la comida. She has paid for the food. Present Subjunctive Notice that all of the conjugations of the present subjunctive include the spelling change (add the vowel u in order to maintain the gs hard sound, like in pague). Que yo pague Mi compaà ±ero de cuarto quiere que yo pague las cuentas a tiempo. My roommate wants me to pay the bills on time. Que tà º pagues El vendedor espera que tà º pagues en efectivo en la tienda. The salesman hopes that you pay in cash at the store. Que usted/à ©l/ella pague Su novio pide que ella pague por la comida. Her boyfriend asks that she pay for the food. Que nosotros paguemos Nuestra amiga sugiere que nosotros paguemos $100 por el boleto. Our friend suggests that we pay $100 for the ticket. Que vosotros paguà ©is El abuelo necesita que vosotros paguà ©is las deudas de vuestra familia. The grandfather needs for you to pay your family's debts. Que ustedes/ellos/ellas paguen Todos recomiendan que ellos paguen un buen salario a sus empleados. Everyone recommends that they pay a good salary to their employees. Imperfect  Subjunctive There are two different conjugations for the  imperfect subjunctive. These conjugations are used in different Spanish-speaking regions, but both are equally valid. Option 1 Que yo pagara Mi compaà ±ero de cuarto querà ­a que yo pagara las cuentas a tiempo. My roommate wanted me to pay the bills on time. Que tà º pagaras El vendedor esperaba que tà º pagaras en efectivo en la tienda. The salesman hoped that you would pay in cash at the store. Que usted/à ©l/ella pagara Su novio pedà ­a que ella pagara por la comida. Her boyfriend asked that she pay for the food. Que nosotros pagà ¡ramos Nuestra amiga sugirià ³ que nosotros pagà ¡ramos $100 por el boleto. Our friend suggested that we pay $100 for the ticket. Que vosotros pagarais El abuelo necesitaba que vosotros pagarais las deudas de vuestra familia. The grandfather needed for you to pay your family's debts. Que ustedes/ellos/ellas pagaran Todos recomendaban que ellos pagaran un buen salario a sus empleados. Everyone recommended that they pay a good salary to their employees. Option 2 Que yo pagase Mi compaà ±ero de cuarto querà ­a que yo pagase las cuentas a tiempo. My roommate wanted me to pay the bills on time. Que tà º pagases El vendedor esperaba que tà º pagases en efectivo en la tienda. The salesman hoped that you would pay in cash at the store. Que usted/à ©l/ella pagase Su novio pedà ­a que ella pagase por la comida. Her boyfriend asked that she pay for the food. Que nosotros pagà ¡semos Nuestra amiga sugirià ³ que nosotros pagà ¡semos $100 por el boleto. Our friend suggested that we pay $100 for the ticket. Que vosotros pagaseis El abuelo necesitaba que vosotros pagaseis las deudas de vuestra familia. The grandfather needed for you to pay your family's debts. Que ustedes/ellos/ellas pagasen Todos recomendaban que ellos pagasen un buen salario a sus empleados. Everyone recommended that they pay a good salary to their employees. Imperative   The  imperative  mood is needed to give orders or commands. You can give either affirmative or negative commands, both shown in the tables below. Notice that there is a spelling change in some of the imperative conjugations. Positive Commands Tà º paga  ¡Paga en efectivo en la tienda! Pay in cash at the store! Usted pague  ¡Pague por la comida! Pay for the food! Nosotros paguemos  ¡Paguemos $100 por el boleto! Let's pay $100 for the ticket! Vosotros pagad  ¡Pagad las deudas de vuestra familia! Pay your family's debts! Ustedes paguen  ¡Paguen un buen salario a sus empleados! Pay a good salary to your employees! Negative Commands Tà º no pagues  ¡No pagues en efectivo en la tienda! Don't pay in cash at the store! Usted no pague  ¡No pague por la comida! Don't pay for the food! Nosotros no paguemos  ¡No paguemos $100 por el boleto! Let's not pay $100 for the ticket! Vosotros no paguà ©is  ¡No paguà ©is las deudas de vuestra familia! Don't pay your family's debts! Ustedes no paguen  ¡No paguen un buen salario a sus empleados! Don't pay a good salary to your employees!