Bezahlen in the Present (Präsens) Tense in German
Introduction
Bezahlen means “to pay”, and this page covers exactly one thing: bezahlen in the present tense. The present is the tense German speakers reach for when they talk about what happens regularly, what is true in general, and what is happening right now. On this page you will find the full present table for bezahlen, how the tense is formed for this verb, the situations where it is used, how it differs from the preterite, worked examples, the mistakes learners make most often, an eight-question quiz with explained answers, and answers to the questions students ask about bezahlen in the present. For example: “Ich bezahle die Rechnung heute.” — “I pay the bill today.” Everything on this page uses the forms of bezahlen exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.
Bezahlen in the Present (Präsens) Tense — full table
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | bezahle |
| du | bezahlst |
| er/sie/es | bezahlt |
| wir | bezahlen |
| ihr | bezahlt |
| sie/Sie | bezahlen |
Present participle: bezahlend · Past participle: bezahlt
The present participle is bezahlend, which you use as an adjective for an ongoing action. The past participle is bezahlt, which you use with haben in the perfect tenses: the ich form of the Perfekt is habe bezahlt, used for a completed action. Keep both forms in mind as you read the examples below, because the present is only one part of how bezahlen is used.
How the present of bezahlen is formed
The present of bezahlen is irregular: the forms do not follow the regular weak pattern, so learn them as a set — ich bezahle, du bezahlst, er/sie/es bezahlt, wir bezahlen, ihr bezahlt, sie/Sie bezahlen. There is no single stem that produces all six forms, which is why this verb is listed as irregular in the present in the verified tables. Say the six forms aloud in order, ich to sie, until the set feels like one unit rather than six separate words.
The present stem also feeds other tenses: the preterite and Konjunktiv II are built from the same stem family, so learning the present properly makes the rest of the conjugation easier. The participles bezahlend and bezahlt belong to the same family of forms — learn them together with the present table and you will recognise bezahlen in every tense.
When to use the present of bezahlen
The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use bezahlen in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.
1. To pay the bill today — the everyday use
The most everyday use of bezahlen is the bill today. It covers the ordinary, everyday situations where this verb appears, at home and outside. Example: “Ich bezahle die Rechnung heute.” — “I pay the bill today.”
2. To pay by card in the shop — a second everyday use
Bezahlen also covers by card in the shop. This use is very common in everyday speech, and it is the one learners meet next after the first. Example: “Du bezahlst mit Karte im Laden.” — “You pay by card in the shop.”
3. To pay the price at the till — a third everyday use
In a third everyday situation, you use bezahlen for the price at the till. The same verb, the same present forms, a different situation — that is why the present is worth learning as a whole table rather than one form at a time. Example: “Er bezahlt den Preis an der Kasse.” — “He pays the price at the till.”
4. Habits and routines
The present tense is the tense of routine. When something happens every day, every week or every morning, the present is the natural choice, and bezahlen is no exception. Use time expressions such as jeden Tag, immer or jede Woche to make the routine explicit. Example: “Wir bezahlen die Rechnung heute.” — “We pay the bill today.”
5. What is happening right now
The present also describes an action in progress at this very moment. German often prefers the simple present where English would use the continuous form, so a sentence with bezahlen in the present can mean both “I do this” and “I am doing this now”. Context tells the listener which one you mean. Example: “Ihr bezahlt mit Karte im Laden.” — “You pay by card in the shop.”
Present Tense vs Preterite: how to choose
The closest tense to the present is the preterite, and learners mix them up constantly. The rule is simple: the preterite describes a finished action in the past, while the present describes habits and facts that are true now. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is the time frame — and with it, the tense. Notice how the present sentences use words such as jeden Tag, while the preterite sentences use gestern. Those time words are your best clue when you are choosing a tense.
Present (Präsens): “Ich bezahle die Rechnung heute.” — “I pay the bill today.”
Preterite: “Ich bezahlte die Rechnung heute.” — “I paid the bill today.”
The present sentence is about the present moment or a routine; the preterite sentence is about one finished action in the past. That difference — now versus finished — is the whole decision.
Present (Präsens): “Du bezahlst mit Karte im Laden.” — “You pay by card in the shop.”
Preterite: “Du bezahltest mit Karte im Laden.” — “You paid by card in the shop.”
The present sentence is about the present moment or a routine; the preterite sentence is about one finished action in the past. That difference — now versus finished — is the whole decision.
Present (Präsens): “Wir bezahlen den Preis an der Kasse.” — “We pay the price at the till.”
Preterite: “Wir bezahlten den Preis an der Kasse.” — “We paid the price at the till.”
The present sentence is about the present moment or a routine; the preterite sentence is about one finished action in the past. That difference — now versus finished — is the whole decision.
Example sentences: bezahlen in the present
Read these eight sentences out loud. They cover all six persons, so by the end you will have seen every form in the table used in a real sentence. Pay attention to the words around the verb — the time expressions, the objects, the other words — because those are what make each sentence sound natural.
“Ich bezahle mit Karte im Laden.” — “I pay by card in the shop.”
“Du bezahlst den Preis an der Kasse.” — “You pay the price at the till.”
“Er bezahlt die Rechnung heute.” — “He pays the bill today.”
“Wir bezahlen mit Karte im Laden.” — “We pay by card in the shop.”
“Ihr bezahlt den Preis an der Kasse.” — “You pay the price at the till.”
“Sie bezahlen die Rechnung heute.” — “They pay the bill today.”
“Ich bezahle mit Karte im Laden.” — “I pay by card in the shop.”
“Du bezahlst den Preis an der Kasse.” — “You pay the price at the till.”
Common mistakes with bezahlen in the present
These are the errors learners actually make with this verb in this tense. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Ich bezahlen die Rechnung heute.” Right: “Ich bezahle die Rechnung heute.” Why: The ich form is bezahle, not bezahlen. Bezahlen belongs with sie. Mixing the two groups is the most common error with this verb.
Wrong: “Wir bezahlen die Rechnung heute.” Right: “Wir bezahlen die Rechnung heute.” Why: Wir keeps its own form: bezahlen, not bezahlen. Learn wir and ihr as a separate pair from the singular forms.
Wrong: “Ich bezahlen die Rechnung heute.” (infinitive with a subject) Right: “Ich bezahle die Rechnung heute.” Why: The infinitive bezahlen never takes a subject. After ich you need the conjugated present form bezahle.
Wrong: “Ich bezahle die Rechnung heute gestern.” (a finished past action) Right: “Ich habe die Rechnung heute bezahlt.” Why: The time word gestern points to the past, so a finished action needs the Perfekt habe bezahlt, not the present bezahle.
Quiz: bezahlen in the present
Choose the correct answer for each question, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained, so a wrong answer still teaches you something.
What is the ich form of bezahlen in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) bezahlen
- B) bezahle
- C) bezahlst
- D) bezahlt
What is the du form of bezahlen in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) bezahle
- B) bezahlt
- C) bezahlen
- D) bezahlst
What is the er/sie/es form of bezahlen in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) bezahlst
- B) bezahlen
- C) bezahlt
- D) bezahle
What is the wir form of bezahlen in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) bezahle
- B) bezahlst
- C) bezahlt
- D) bezahlen
What is the ihr form of bezahlen in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) bezahlst
- B) bezahlen
- C) bezahlt
- D) bezahle
What is the sie/Sie form of bezahlen in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) bezahle
- B) bezahlst
- C) bezahlt
- D) bezahlen
7. What does bezahlen mean in English?
- A) to be
- B) to have
- C) to become
- D) to pay
8. What is the past participle of bezahlen?
- A) gehabt
- B) geworden
- C) bezahlt
- D) gewesen
Answer key
- B) bezahle — The ich form of bezahlen in the Present (Präsens) is bezahle.
- D) bezahlst — The du form of bezahlen in the Present (Präsens) is bezahlst.
- C) bezahlt — The er/sie/es form of bezahlen in the Present (Präsens) is bezahlt.
- D) bezahlen — The wir form of bezahlen in the Present (Präsens) is bezahlen.
- C) bezahlt — The ihr form of bezahlen in the Present (Präsens) is bezahlt.
- D) bezahlen — The sie/Sie form of bezahlen in the Present (Präsens) is bezahlen.
- D) to pay — bezahlen means “to pay”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.
- C) bezahlt — The past participle of bezahlen is bezahlt; it is used with haben in the perfect tenses, while the present tense itself is formed from the stem plus the present endings.
Frequently asked questions
How is the present of bezahlen formed?
The present of bezahlen is irregular, so the six forms must be learned as a set from the table above: ich bezahle, du bezahlst, er bezahlt, wir bezahlen, ihr bezahlt, sie bezahlen. There is no regular pattern that produces them.
When do I use the present of bezahlen?
Use the present for habits, general truths and what is happening now — for example, “Ich bezahle die Rechnung heute.” — “I pay the bill today.” For a finished past action, use the Perfekt instead.
What is the difference between the present and the preterite of bezahlen?
The present describes what is true now or happens regularly; the preterite describes one finished action in the past. Compare “Ich bezahle die Rechnung heute.” with “Ich bezahlte die Rechnung heute.” — the first is now, the second is the past as a finished event.
Pronunciation
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for bezahlen, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of bezahlen — every tense of bezahlen in one place.
- Bezahlen in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Bezahlen examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice questions for this verb.
- Sein conjugation — another everyday German verb.
- Haben conjugation — another everyday German verb.
- Werden conjugation — another everyday German verb.
- German irregular verbs — every common irregular German verb, grouped by pattern.
- German verbs — the full hub of German conjugation pages.
- Spanish verbs — the full hub of Spanish conjugation pages.
- French verbs — the full hub of French conjugation pages.
- VerbFlow home — all languages, tools and verb lists.
- Present Tense Conjugator — practise bezahlen with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise bezahlen with the interactive tool.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — practise bezahlen with the interactive tool.