Bezahlen Conjugation in German
bezahlen means “to pay” in English, and it is one of the first verbs German learners meet — it sits at number 44 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for German verbs. You will meet it in everyday sentences such as “Ich bezahle die Rechnung heute.” — “I pay the bill today.” — and because it comes up in everyday conversation so often, learning its forms properly pays off from the very first week. This page gives you the complete conjugation of bezahlen — every tense, every person, the present participle and the past participle — with notes, examples, common mistakes and a quiz.
Quick facts
- Infinitive: bezahlen
- English: to pay
- Verb type: Irregular
- Irregular in: present, preterite, past-participle, imperative
- Present participle (Partizip I): bezahlend
- Past participle (Partizip II): bezahlt
- Auxiliary: haben (all perfect tenses are formed with haben + the past participle)
- Pattern: weak in the verified tables
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. Learn the spelling of the forms first, and listen to a native speaker for the sounds rather than trusting an invented transcription. The forms below are the ones that matter: once you can read bezahlen in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about bezahlen
- It is irregular in 4 tense(s): present, preterite, past-participle, imperative. Learn those forms as a set rather than guessing them from the infinitive, because the regular pattern will not produce them.
- The perfect tenses use haben: the Perfekt is formed with haben in the present plus the past participle bezahlt. The tables on this page give the participle in the form exactly as it appears in the verified dump; the participle itself does not change for person, only the auxiliary does.
- The participles are bezahlend and bezahlt: keep both in mind as you read the tables, because the present participle appears as an adjective and the past participle appears in every perfect tense. If you know those two forms and the present tense, you already know the skeleton of the whole conjugation.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for bezahlen. Learn the present tense first, then the Perfekt and the preterite, and add the remaining tenses one at a time.
Present (Präsens)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | bezahle |
| du | bezahlst |
| er/sie/es | bezahlt |
| wir | bezahlen |
| ihr | bezahlt |
| sie/Sie | bezahlen |
The present (Präsens) is used for habits, facts and things happening now. With bezahlen this tense is irregular, so the forms do not follow the regular pattern — learn them as a set rather than guessing from the infinitive. For example: “Ich bezahle mit Karte im Laden.” — “I pay by card in the shop.”
Preterite (Präteritum)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | bezahlte |
| du | bezahltest |
| er/sie/es | bezahlte |
| wir | bezahlten |
| ihr | bezahltet |
| sie/Sie | bezahlten |
The preterite (Präteritum) is used for completed actions in the past, mostly in written German and in stories. With bezahlen this tense is irregular, so the forms do not follow the regular pattern — learn them as a set rather than guessing from the infinitive. For example: “Du bezahltest mit Karte im Laden.” — “You paid by card in the shop.”
Perfect (Perfekt)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | habe bezahlt |
| du | hast bezahlt |
| er/sie/es | hat bezahlt |
| wir | haben bezahlt |
| ihr | habt bezahlt |
| sie/Sie | haben bezahlt |
The perfect (Perfekt) is used for completed actions in the past, especially in spoken German. For example: “Er hat mit Karte im Laden bezahlt.” — “He has paid by card in the shop.”
Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | hatte bezahlt |
| du | hattest bezahlt |
| er/sie/es | hatte bezahlt |
| wir | hatten bezahlt |
| ihr | hattet bezahlt |
| sie/Sie | hatten bezahlt |
The pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt) is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Ich hatte mit Karte im Laden bezahlt.” — “I had paid by card in the shop.”
Future (Futur I)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | werde bezahlen |
| du | wirst bezahlen |
| er/sie/es | wird bezahlen |
| wir | werden bezahlen |
| ihr | werdet bezahlen |
| sie/Sie | werden bezahlen |
The future (Futur I) is used for what will happen, for predictions and for intentions. For example: “Ich werde mit Karte im Laden bezahlen.” — “I will pay by card in the shop.”
Future perfect (Futur II)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | werde bezahlt haben |
| du | wirst bezahlt haben |
| er/sie/es | wird bezahlt haben |
| wir | werden bezahlt haben |
| ihr | werdet bezahlt haben |
| sie/Sie | werden bezahlt haben |
The future perfect (Futur II) is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Du wirst mit Karte im Laden bezahlt haben.” — “You will have paid by card in the shop.”
Konjunktiv I
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | bezahle |
| du | bezahlest |
| er/sie/es | bezahle |
| wir | bezahlen |
| ihr | bezahlet |
| sie/Sie | bezahlen |
Konjunktiv I is used for reported speech — reporting what someone else said — and in formal written German. For example: “Er bezahle mit Karte im Laden.” — “He pays by card in the shop.”
Konjunktiv II (conditional)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | bezahlte |
| du | bezahltest |
| er/sie/es | bezahlte |
| wir | bezahlten |
| ihr | bezahltet |
| sie/Sie | bezahlten |
Konjunktiv II is used for hypothetical situations, wishes and polite requests. It doubles as the German conditional: there is no separate conditional tense, and the periphrastic alternative with würde + infinitive is not an engine tense. For example: “Ich bezahlte mit Karte im Laden.” — “I would pay by card in the shop.”
Conditional perfect (Konjunktiv II + participle)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | hätte bezahlt |
| du | hättest bezahlt |
| er/sie/es | hätte bezahlt |
| wir | hätten bezahlt |
| ihr | hättet bezahlt |
| sie/Sie | hätten bezahlt |
The conditional perfect (Konjunktiv II + past participle) is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Er hätte mit Karte im Laden bezahlt.” — “He would have paid by card in the shop.”
Imperative (Imperativ)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| du | bezahl |
| wir | bezahlen |
| ihr | bezahlt |
| sie/Sie | bezahlen |
The imperative (Imperativ) is used for direct commands, requests and instructions. With bezahlen this tense is irregular, so the forms do not follow the regular pattern — learn them as a set rather than guessing from the infinitive. For example: “Bezahl mit Karte im Laden!” — “Pay by card in the shop!”
Present participle (Partizip I)
| Form | German |
|---|---|
| Present participle (Partizip I) | bezahlend |
The present participle (Partizip I) is used as an adjective or adverb, describing an ongoing action. For example, the participle bezahlend is used to describe something that is happening at the same time as the main action, much like an English -ing adjective.
Past participle (Partizip II)
| Form | German |
|---|---|
| Past participle (Partizip II) | bezahlt |
The past participle (Partizip II) is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Ich habe die Rechnung heute bezahlt.” — “I have paid the bill today.”
Infinitive (Infinitiv)
| Form | German |
|---|---|
| Infinitive | bezahlen |
The infinitive is the dictionary form of the verb, used after modal verbs and other verbs that take an infinitive. The infinitive is the dictionary form of the verb: it is the form you look up, and the form that follows modal verbs and other verbs that take an infinitive.
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with bezahlen, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the German and try to produce it from the English.
- “Ich bezahle die Rechnung heute.” — “I pay the bill today.”
- “Du bezahltest mit Karte im Laden.” — “You paid by card in the shop.”
- “Er hat den Preis an der Kasse bezahlt.” — “He has paid the price at the till.”
- “Ich werde die Rechnung heute bezahlen.” — “I will pay the bill today.”
- “Du bezahltest mit Karte im Laden.” — “You would pay by card in the shop.”
- “Ich hatte den Preis an der Kasse bezahlt.” — “I had paid the price at the till.”
- “Du wirst mit Karte im Laden bezahlt haben.” — “You will have paid by card in the shop.”
- “Er bezahle den Preis an der Kasse.” — “He pays the price at the till.”
- “Ich hätte die Rechnung heute bezahlt.” — “I would have paid the bill today.”
- “Bezahl die Rechnung heute!” — “Pay the bill today!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Ich bezahlen die Rechnung heute.”
✓ Right: “Ich bezahle die Rechnung heute.”
The infinitive bezahlen never takes a subject. After ich you need the conjugated present form bezahle.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Ich bezahlen die Rechnung heute.”
✓ Right: “Ich bezahle die Rechnung heute.”
bezahlen is the sie form, not the ich form. Match the verb to the subject every time: ich goes with bezahle.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Ich bezahle die Rechnung heute gestern.”
✓ Right: “Ich habe die Rechnung heute bezahlt.”
The time word gestern points to the past, so a finished action needs the Perfekt habe bezahlt, not the present.
4. Using the wrong auxiliary in the Perfekt
✗ Wrong: “Ich bin die Rechnung heute bezahlt.”
✓ Right: “Ich habe die Rechnung heute bezahlt.”
The Perfekt of bezahlen is formed with haben plus the past participle bezahlt: the ich form is habe bezahlt. Check the auxiliary in the table above before you build a perfect tense.
5. Using the preterite where spoken German prefers the Perfekt
✗ Wrong: “Ich bezahlte die Rechnung heute gestern.” (in everyday speech)
✓ Right: “Ich habe die Rechnung heute bezahlt.”
In everyday spoken German the Perfekt habe bezahlt is the usual past tense. The preterite bezahlte is correct in writing and in stories, but it sounds formal in conversation.
6. Using the du form when talking to a group
✗ Wrong: “Bezahl die Rechnung heute!” (said to several people)
✓ Right: “Bezahlt die Rechnung heute!”
The du imperative bezahl is for one person you know well. For a group, use the ihr form bezahlt.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on bezahlen. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the ich form of bezahlen in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) bezahlen
- B) bezahle
- C) bezahlst
- D) bezahlt
What is the er/sie/es form of bezahlen in the Preterite (Präteritum)?
- A) bezahltet
- B) bezahlte
- C) bezahltest
- D) bezahlten
What is the er/sie/es form of bezahlen in the Perfect (Perfekt)?
- A) haben bezahlt
- B) hat bezahlt
- C) habe bezahlt
- D) hast bezahlt
What is the du form of bezahlen in the Future (Futur I)?
- A) wird bezahlen
- B) werden bezahlen
- C) wirst bezahlen
- D) werde bezahlen
What is the ich form of bezahlen in the Konjunktiv II (conditional)?
- A) bezahltet
- B) bezahlte
- C) bezahltest
- D) bezahlten
What is the wir form of bezahlen in the Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt)?
- A) hattest bezahlt
- B) hattet bezahlt
- C) hatten bezahlt
- D) hatte bezahlt
What is the er/sie/es form of bezahlen in the Konjunktiv I?
- A) bezahlet
- B) bezahle
- C) bezahlest
- D) bezahlen
What is the du form of bezahlen in the Imperative (Imperativ)?
- A) bezahlt
- B) bezahlst
- C) bezahl
- D) bezahlen
What is the past participle of bezahlen?
- A) gehabt
- B) geworden
- C) bezahlt
- D) gewesen
What does bezahlen mean in English?
- A) to be
- B) to have
- C) to become
- D) to pay
Answer key
- B) bezahle — the ich form of bezahlen in the Present (Präsens) is bezahle. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) bezahlte — the er/sie/es form of bezahlen in the Preterite (Präteritum) is bezahlte. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) hat bezahlt — the er/sie/es form of bezahlen in the Perfect (Perfekt) is hat bezahlt. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) wirst bezahlen — the du form of bezahlen in the Future (Futur I) is wirst bezahlen. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) bezahlte — the ich form of bezahlen in the Konjunktiv II (conditional) is bezahlte. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) hatten bezahlt — the wir form of bezahlen in the Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt) is hatten bezahlt. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) bezahle — the er/sie/es form of bezahlen in the Konjunktiv I is bezahle. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) bezahl — the du form of bezahlen in the Imperative (Imperativ) is bezahl. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) bezahlt — the past participle of bezahlen is bezahlt; it is used with haben in the perfect tenses. The other options are the participles of neighbouring verbs.
- D) to pay — bezahlen means “to pay” in English. The other options are the meanings of neighbouring verbs.
Frequently asked questions
What does bezahlen mean in English?
bezahlen means “to pay”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is bezahlen regular or irregular?
bezahlen is irregular, and it is irregular in these tenses: present, preterite, past-participle, imperative. The present participle is bezahlend and the past participle is bezahlt.
What are the participles of bezahlen?
The present participle (Partizip I) is bezahlend — use it as an adjective for an ongoing action. The past participle (Partizip II) is bezahlt — use it with haben for the perfect tenses, as in habe bezahlt.
Which auxiliary does bezahlen take in the Perfekt?
bezahlen takes haben in the Perfekt: the ich form is habe bezahlt. All four perfect tenses on this page are built with haben plus the past participle bezahlt.
Does German have a separate conditional tense?
No. Konjunktiv II doubles as the conditional: the ich form bezahlte is the form you use for “would” meanings, and the periphrastic alternative with würde + infinitive is not a separate engine tense. The conditional perfect hätte bezahlt covers “would have” meanings.
How do I say “I pay the bill today” in German?
Say “Ich bezahle die Rechnung heute.” — “I pay the bill today.” The ich form of the present is bezahle, and it is the form you will use most often.
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.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — practise bezahlen with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise bezahlen with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise bezahlen with the interactive tool.