What is the preterite of pagar in Spanish?

The preterite of pagar is: pagué, pagaste, pagó, pagamos, pagasteis, pagaron. The yo form adds u after the g (pagué, not pagé) to preserve the hard g sound before é. All other forms follow the standard regular -ar preterite pattern.

Why is the yo form pagué and not pagé?

Spanish spelling rules require g to be followed by u when it appears before e or i, to keep the hard g sound. Pagé would be pronounced with a soft g (like Spanish j). Pagué keeps the hard g. The u is silent.

When do I use pagar a vs. pagar por?

Pagar a marks the recipient of the payment (Pagué al taxista = I paid the taxi driver). Pagar por marks what was paid for (Pagué por la cena = I paid for the dinner). Use a when emphasizing who received the money, por when emphasizing what the payment covered.

What other verbs follow the same g-to-gu spelling pattern?

All -gar verbs: llegar (llegué), jugar (jugué), apagar (apagué), entregar (entregué), navegar (navegué), pegar (pegué), rogar (rogué), colgar (colgué). The yo preterite always adds u after the g.

How can I learn to use the preterite of pagar naturally?

Pagar shows up in any story involving money: restaurants, bills, services, shopping. Parrot's short-form videos surface these contexts constantly, so the g-to-gu spelling rule and the pagar a vs. pagar por distinction become automatic through exposure to native speakers using pagué, pagó, and pagaron in real-life transactions.

Spanish grammar · Intermediate

Preterite of Pagar: All Forms with Examples

Written by Sofia Ramirez, Lead Spanish Curriculum Editor · Reviewed May 2026

The preterite of pagar is regular except for a g-to-gu spelling change in the yo form (pagué) to preserve the hard g sound before é. The other forms follow standard -ar preterite endings (pagaste, pagó, pagamos, pagasteis, pagaron).

Pagué la cuenta con tarjeta.

I paid the bill with a card.

What it is

Pagar's preterite is regular except for one spelling rule: the yo form adds u after the g to keep the hard g sound before é. The result is pagué, not pagé. All other forms follow standard -ar preterite endings: pagaste, pagó, pagamos, pagasteis, pagaron.

In Pagué la cuenta con tarjeta (I paid the bill with a card), pagué marks one completed payment. The preterite frames the act of paying as a finished transaction at a specific past moment.

How to spot it

The yo form pagué is the only one with the spelling change. The other five forms are standard regular -ar preterite (pagaste, pagó, pagamos, pagasteis, pagaron). Pagar covers all monetary transactions and also figurative payments (paying with health, time, attention).

Pagué cien euros por el libro. — I paid one hundred euros for the book.
Pagaste demasiado por ese coche. — You paid too much for that car.
Pagaron en efectivo. — They paid in cash.

Pagar belongs to the -gar family (with jugar, llegar, apagar). The g-to-gu rule in the yo form is shared across all of them.

Preterite of Pagar Quick Reference

Preterite of pagar, all six forms

Person	Form	Translation
yo	pagué	I paid
tú	pagaste	you paid
él/ella/Ud.	pagó	he, she, you (formal) paid
nosotros	pagamos	we paid
vosotros	pagasteis	you all paid (Spain)
ellos/Uds.	pagaron	they, you all paid

Common Preterite of Pagar Examples in Spanish

Pagar covers paying for products, services, and bills, as well as figurative payment with time, attention, or consequences. The preterite captures each act of paying as a completed event.

Paying at Restaurants and Stores

Pagué la cena con mi tarjeta de crédito.: I paid for dinner with my credit card.
Pagamos a partes iguales.: We paid equal shares.
¿Pagaste con efectivo o tarjeta?: Did you pay with cash or card?
Pagó la cuenta antes que nadie.: He paid the bill before anyone else.
Pagaron una buena propina al camarero.: They left the waiter a good tip.

Restaurant and store payments are the prototypical use of pagar. The preterite captures each transaction as completed.

Paying Bills and Subscriptions

Pagué la factura de la luz ayer.: I paid the electricity bill yesterday.
Pagamos el alquiler el primero de mes.: We paid the rent on the first of the month.
Pagaste el seguro a tiempo.: You paid the insurance on time.
Pagó las cuotas pendientes.: He paid the outstanding installments.
Pagaron la suscripción anual completa.: They paid the full yearly subscription.

Bills, rent, insurance, subscriptions, all common pagar contexts. Time markers like ayer or el primero de mes anchor the payment to a specific moment.

Paying for Services

Pagué al fontanero por la reparación.: I paid the plumber for the repair.
Pagamos a un guía turístico en Madrid.: We paid a tour guide in Madrid.
Pagaste demasiado por el corte de pelo.: You paid too much for the haircut.
Pagó al mecánico en cuotas.: She paid the mechanic in installments.
Pagaron por el envío express.: They paid for express shipping.

Pagar a + person identifies who received the payment; pagar por + service identifies what was paid for. Both prepositions are common.

Figurative Pagar (Consequences)

Pagué mi error con muchas horas extra.: I paid for my mistake with lots of overtime.
Pagó caro su decisión.: He paid dearly for his decision.
Pagamos las consecuencias después.: We paid the consequences afterward.
Pagaron con la salud por trabajar tanto.: They paid with their health for working so much.
Pagué la confianza con lealtad.: I repaid the trust with loyalty.

Pagar extends to figurative payments: paying with time, health, consequences. The preterite captures the toll as already taken.

How to Form the Preterite of Pagar

g → gu in the Yo Form

Spanish spelling rules require g to be followed by u when it appears before e or i, to preserve the hard g sound. The yo preterite ending -é forces a g-to-gu shift in -gar verbs: pagué, not pagé. The u is silent.

pagar → yo → pagué (not pagé).

The u is silent; its only job is to keep the g sound hard.

Any -gar verb in the yo preterite: add u after the g, pagué, llegué, jugué.

Other Forms Are Standard -ar

The remaining five forms follow standard -ar preterite endings: -aste, -ó, -amos, -asteis, -aron. No spelling adjustments because the endings don't start with é or í.

tú pagaste, él pagó, nosotros pagamos, vosotros pagasteis, ellos pagaron.

Standard regular -ar preterite endings everywhere except yo.

Only the yo form is affected by the spelling rule.

Pagar A + Person, Pagar Por + Thing

Pagar a marks the recipient of the payment (Pagué al camarero = I paid the waiter). Pagar por marks what was paid for (Pagué por el seguro = I paid for the insurance). Both prepositions are extremely common; choose based on what you want to highlight.

Pagué al taxista. Pagué por la cena.

I paid the taxi driver. I paid for the dinner.

A = person who got paid. Por = thing that was paid for.

Same Pattern: Llegar, Jugar, Apagar

All -gar verbs follow the same yo-form spelling rule in the preterite. Llegar → llegué. Jugar → jugué. Apagar → apagué. Entregar → entregué. Pegar → pegué.

Llegué temprano. Jugué bien. Apagué la luz.

I arrived early. I played well. I turned off the light.

Any -gar verb in yo preterite: gué, never gé.

Common Mistakes with Preterite of Pagar

Incorrect: Yo pagé la cuenta con efectivo. — I paid the bill with cash. (wrong, missing the u after g)

Correct: Yo pagué la cuenta con efectivo. — I paid the bill with cash.

The yo preterite of any -gar verb requires a u after the g to keep the hard g sound before é. Pagé (without u) would be pronounced with a soft g, which doesn't match the verb's pronunciation. Pagué is the correct spelling.

Incorrect: Pagué el camarero generosamente. — I paid the waiter generously. (wrong, missing personal a)

Correct: Pagué al camarero generosamente. — I paid the waiter generously.

When pagar takes a person as the direct or indirect object, Spanish requires the personal a: Pagué al camarero (I paid the waiter). The a combines with el to become al. The omission sounds incomplete in Spanish.

Incorrect: Pagaba el alquiler el primero del mes. — I paid the rent on the first of the month. (wrong, imperfect for a one-time payment)

Correct: Pagué el alquiler el primero del mes. — I paid the rent on the first of the month.

A specific completed payment with a clear time marker takes the preterite (pagué). The imperfect (pagaba) would describe habitual or ongoing paying every month, not a specific transaction.

Preterite of Pagar FAQs

What is the preterite of pagar in Spanish?: The preterite of pagar is: pagué, pagaste, pagó, pagamos, pagasteis, pagaron. The yo form adds u after the g (pagué, not pagé) to preserve the hard g sound before é. All other forms follow the standard regular -ar preterite pattern.
Why is the yo form pagué and not pagé?: Spanish spelling rules require g to be followed by u when it appears before e or i, to keep the hard g sound. Pagé would be pronounced with a soft g (like Spanish j). Pagué keeps the hard g. The u is silent.
When do I use pagar a vs. pagar por?: Pagar a marks the recipient of the payment (Pagué al taxista = I paid the taxi driver). Pagar por marks what was paid for (Pagué por la cena = I paid for the dinner). Use a when emphasizing who received the money, por when emphasizing what the payment covered.
What other verbs follow the same g-to-gu spelling pattern?: All -gar verbs: llegar (llegué), jugar (jugué), apagar (apagué), entregar (entregué), navegar (navegué), pegar (pegué), rogar (rogué), colgar (colgué). The yo preterite always adds u after the g.
How can I learn to use the preterite of pagar naturally?: Pagar shows up in any story involving money: restaurants, bills, services, shopping. Parrot's short-form videos surface these contexts constantly, so the g-to-gu spelling rule and the pagar a vs. pagar por distinction become automatic through exposure to native speakers using pagué, pagó, and pagaron in real-life transactions.