Spanish grammar · Beginner
Pagar Conjugation: Every Tense with Examples
Pagar means to pay. Fully regular -ar except preterite yo: pagué (g→gu spelling shift to preserve hard g sound). Pagar con / por / en for different payment contexts.
Pago la cuenta.
I'll pay the bill.
What it is
Pagar means to pay. Fully regular -ar verb except for one spelling quirk: preterite yo is pagué (g→gu before é to preserve the hard g sound). Pagar covers paying bills, paying for things, and paying people.
In Pago la cuenta (I'll pay the bill), pago is the regular yo present. Pagar takes a direct object (the thing paid), no preposition like English for. Pago la cena (I'll pay for dinner).
How to spot it
Regular -ar except preterite yo: pagué. Subjunctive uses pague-, pagues-, etc.
- ¿Cuánto pagas? — How much do you pay?
- Pagué con tarjeta. — I paid by card.
- Pagaremos mañana. — We'll pay tomorrow.
Pagar covers what you pay (object), how you pay (con + method), and what you pay for (por + thing if emphasizing).
Pagar Conjugation Quick Reference
Pagar at a glance, the most-used forms across tenses
| Person | Present | Preterite | Imperfect | Future | Subjunctive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | pago | pagué | pagaba | pagaré | pague |
| tú | pagas | pagaste | pagabas | pagarás | pagues |
| él/ella/Ud. | paga | pagó | pagaba | pagará | pague |
| nosotros | pagamos | pagamos | pagábamos | pagaremos | paguemos |
| vosotros | pagáis | pagasteis | pagabais | pagaréis | paguéis |
| ellos/Uds. | pagan | pagaron | pagaban | pagarán | paguen |
Common Pagar Conjugation Examples in Spanish
Pagar covers paying bills, paying for things, paying methods, and tipping:
Paying Bills / Things
- Pago la cuenta.
- I'll pay the bill.
- Pagué el alquiler.
- I paid the rent.
- Pagamos los impuestos.
- We pay taxes.
Direct object = the thing paid. No por needed. Pagar la cuenta, pagar el alquiler.
Paying With / How
- Pagué con tarjeta.
- I paid by card.
- ¿Pagas en efectivo?
- Are you paying in cash?
- Lo pagó con dólares.
- He paid for it in dollars.
Pagar con + method (con tarjeta, con efectivo) or pagar en + currency (en dólares, en euros).
Paying For (When Emphasizing)
- Pagué cien euros por el libro.
- I paid one hundred euros for the book.
- Pagamos mucho por el coche.
- We paid a lot for the car.
When emphasizing the price exchange, use por: pagué X por Y = I paid X for Y.
Idioms, Pagar = Suffer Consequences
- Vas a pagar por esto.
- You're going to pay for this.
- Pagó por sus errores.
- He paid for his mistakes.
Pagar por can also mean suffer consequences, same metaphor as English.
How to Conjugate Pagar Across Tenses
Present, Fully Regular -ar
All forms regular: pago, pagas, paga, pagamos, pagáis, pagan.
Yo pago, tú pagas, él paga, nosotros pagamos, vosotros pagáis, ellos pagan.
I pay, you pay, he pays, we pay, you all pay, they pay.
Same pattern as canto, miro, llego.
Preterite, Yo Pagué (G→Gu Shift)
Yo preterite is pagué. The g shifts to gu before é to preserve the hard g sound. Other forms regular: pagaste, pagó, pagamos, pagasteis, pagaron.
Pagué la cuenta. Pagaron en efectivo.
I paid the bill. They paid in cash.
Same shift family as llegué (llegar), jugué (jugar), agregué (agregar). To keep the hard g sound, you need gu before e.
Subjunctive, G→Gu Throughout
Present subjunctive: pague, pagues, pague, paguemos, paguéis, paguen. Spelling shift g→gu in every form.
Espero que pagues pronto.
I hope you pay soon.
Same shift family in subjunctive: llegue, juegue, agregue.
Compound Tenses
Past participle pagado is regular. Used in he pagado, había pagado, haya pagado.
He pagado el alquiler.
I've paid the rent.
All compound tenses use the regular past participle.
Common Mistakes with Pagar Conjugation
Incorrect: Yo pagé ayer. — I paid yesterday. (wrong, needs gu to keep hard g)
Correct: Yo pagué ayer. — I paid yesterday.
Preterite yo pagué needs gu to preserve the hard g sound. Same shift family as llegué, jugué.
Incorrect: Pagué por la cuenta. — I paid the bill. (no por needed)
Correct: Pagué la cuenta. — I paid the bill.
Pagar takes a direct object, no por before the thing paid. Por is only used when emphasizing price exchange (Pagué cien euros por el libro).
Incorrect: Espero que pagas pronto. — I hope you pay soon. (wrong, subjunctive needs gu)
Correct: Espero que pagues pronto. — I hope you pay soon.
Esperar que triggers subjunctive. Subjunctive pagues keeps the g→gu shift.
Pagar Across Every Tense
Regular -ar verb with one spelling quirk: g→gu before e (preterite yo, all subjunctive forms).
Present (Regular)
Fully regular -ar.
| yo |
| tú |
| él/ella/usted |
| nosotros |
| vosotros |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes |
Same regular pattern as canto, miro.
Preterite (Yo Pagué)
Only yo shows g→gu.
| yo |
| tú |
| él/ella/usted |
| nosotros |
| vosotros |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes |
Same -gué family as llegué, jugué, agregué.
Imperfect (Regular)
Regular -ar imperfect.
| yo |
| tú |
| él/ella/usted |
| nosotros |
| vosotros |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes |
Antes pagaba el alquiler en efectivo = Before I used to pay rent in cash.
Future, Conditional, Subjunctive
Future / conditional regular. Subjunctive keeps g→gu.
| yo (future) |
| yo (conditional) |
| yo (present subjunctive) |
| yo (present perfect) |
Past participle pagado is regular.
Pagar Conjugation FAQs
- What does pagar mean and when do you use it in Spanish?
- Pagar means to pay. Used for paying bills (Pago la cuenta), paying for things (Pagué cien por el libro), paying methods (Pago con tarjeta), and idiomatically for consequences (Vas a pagar por esto).
- How does pagar conjugate in the present tense?
- Pago, pagas, paga, pagamos, pagáis, pagan. Fully regular -ar, no irregularities in the present.
- What's the preterite of pagar?
- Pagué, pagaste, pagó, pagamos, pagasteis, pagaron. The yo form shifts g→gu (pagué, not pagé) to preserve the hard g sound.
- Do you say pagar por la cuenta or just pagar la cuenta?
- Just pagar la cuenta, no por before the thing paid. Pagar takes a direct object. Por is only used when emphasizing price exchange (Pagué cien euros por el libro).
- How can I get better at conjugating pagar?
- Pagar is everyday vocabulary, paying for restaurants, rent, bills. Exposure to pago / pagué / pagaba in real contexts is the fastest path. Parrot's daily videos feature pagar in natural conversations.