Introduction

Pagar means “to pay”, and this page covers exactly one thing: pagar in the present tense. The present is the tense Spanish 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 pagar, 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 pagar in the present. Pagar is the verb for paying for things: the bill, the rent, a ticket. The thing paid for is the direct object, with no preposition. For example: “Yo pago la cuenta.” — I pay the bill. Everything on this page uses the forms of pagar exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Pagar in the Present Tense — full table

Person Form
yo pago
tú pagas
él/ella/Ud. paga
nosotros/as pagamos
vosotros/as pagáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. pagan

Gerund: pagando · Past participle: pagado

The gerund is pagando, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy pagando” means the action of pagar is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is pagado, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he pagado” is the present perfect, 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 pagar is used.

How the present of pagar is formed

Pagar is regular in the present tense: the stem is pag and the endings are -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an, giving pago, pagas, paga, pagamos, pagáis and pagan. The spelling change of this verb (g to gu in pagar, c to qu in explicar) only appears before an e in the subjunctive and in the preterite yo form, never in the present indicative, so nothing in the table above needs a spelling adjustment. If you can conjugate a regular -ar verb, you can conjugate pagar in the present.

The spelling change of pagar is easy to miss and easy to learn. The g of the stem becomes gu before an e, to keep the hard g sound: pagué in the preterite yo, pague and pagues in the subjunctive. In the present indicative, every ending starts with o, a or á, so the g never meets an e and the spelling never changes. If you can say pago, pagas and paga, you already have the whole present tense.

When to use the present of pagar

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use pagar in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.

1. Paying for things

Pagar is the verb for paying for things: the bill, the rent, a ticket. The thing paid for is the direct object, with no preposition. Example: “Yo pago la cuenta.” — I pay the bill.

2. Paying someone

Pagar a + person means to pay someone: a worker, a teacher, a friend. The personal a appears because the person is paid. Example: “Mi jefe paga a los empleados el viernes.” — My boss pays the employees on Friday.

3. Paying with something or in instalments

Pagar con tarjeta or pagar a plazos describes how you pay. The con marks the method, and a plazos means in instalments. Example: “Nosotros pagamos con tarjeta.” — We pay by card.

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 pagar is no exception. Use time expressions such as todos los días, siempre or cada semana to make the routine explicit. Example: “Yo pago la cuenta.” — I pay the bill.

5. What is happening right now

The present also describes an action in progress at this very moment. Spanish often prefers the simple present where English would use the continuous form, so a sentence with pagar in the present can mean both “I do this” and “I am doing this now”. Context tells the listener which one you mean. Example: “Nosotros pagamos con tarjeta.” — We pay by card.

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 present describes habits, general truths and what is happening now, while the preterite describes one finished action in the past. 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 todos los días or siempre, while the preterite sentences use ayer or la semana pasada. Those time words are your best clue when you are choosing a tense.

  • Present Tense: “Yo pago la cuenta todos los días.” — I pay the bill every day.

  • Preterite: “Ayer yo pagué la cuenta.” — Yesterday I paid the bill.

  • Todos los días describes a routine, so the present is right; ayer names one finished day, so the preterite is right.

  • Present Tense: “Mi jefe paga a los empleados cada viernes.” — My boss pays the employees every Friday.

  • Preterite: “Mi jefe pagó a los empleados el viernes pasado.” — My boss paid the employees last Friday.

  • Cada viernes signals repetition, so the present fits; el viernes pasado names one finished day, so the preterite fits.

  • Present Tense: “Yo pago la cuenta.” — I pay the bill.

  • Preterite: “Ayer, yo pagué la cuenta.” — the same action, but finished yesterday instead of repeated as a habit.

  • The present sentence is true every day; the preterite sentence is true once, yesterday. That difference — routine versus one finished event — is the whole decision.

Example sentences: pagar 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 verbs — because those are what make each sentence sound natural.

  1. “Yo pago la cuenta.” — I pay the bill.

  2. “¿Tú pagas con tarjeta?” — Do you pay by card?

  3. “Mi jefe paga a los empleados el viernes.” — My boss pays the employees on Friday.

  4. “Nosotros pagamos con tarjeta.” — We pay by card.

  5. “Vosotros pagáis el alquiler a principios de mes.” — You pay the rent at the beginning of the month.

  6. “Ellos pagan a plazos.” — They pay in instalments.

  7. “Yo pago en efectivo.” — I pay in cash.

  8. “El cliente paga al final.” — The customer pays at the end.

Common mistakes with pagar 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: “Yo pago por la cuenta.” Right: “Yo pago la cuenta.” Why: Pagar takes a direct object with no preposition: pago la cuenta, not pago por la cuenta. Por appears in pagar por algo only when you mean to pay for someone else's benefit, which is a different structure.

  • Wrong: “Ellos paga a plazos.” Right: “Ellos pagan a plazos.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form pagan. The singular paga belongs with él, ella or a singular noun such as el cliente.

  • Wrong: “Yo pago la cuenta ayer.” Right: “Ayer yo pagué la cuenta.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished payment yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to pagué, with the spelling change g → gu before e.

  • Wrong: “Nosotros pagas con tarjeta.” Right: “Nosotros pagamos con tarjeta.” Why: Nosotros needs pagamos. The tú form pagas belongs with tú.

Quiz: pagar 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.

1. Complete the sentence: “Yo ______ la cuenta.” (I pay the bill.)

  • (a) pagas
  • (b) paga
  • (c) pago

Answer: pago — The yo form of pagar in the present is pago. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.

2. Complete the sentence: “¿Tú ______ con tarjeta?” (Do you pay by card?)

  • (a) paga
  • (b) pagas
  • (c) pago

Answer: pagas — The tú form of pagar in the present is pagas. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.

3. Complete the sentence: “Mi jefe ______ a los empleados el viernes.” (My boss pays the employees on Friday.)

  • (a) paga
  • (b) pago
  • (c) pagas

Answer: paga — The él/ella/Ud. form of pagar in the present is paga. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.

4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros ______ con tarjeta.” (We pay by card.)

  • (a) pago
  • (b) pagas
  • (c) pagamos

Answer: pagamos — The nosotros/as form of pagar in the present is pagamos. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.

5. What is the vosotros/as form of pagar in the present?

  • (a) pagas
  • (b) pagáis
  • (c) pago

Answer: pagáis — From the table above: vosotros/as takes pagáis. Say it with the example sentence “Vosotros pagáis el alquiler a principios de mes.” to fix it in your memory.

6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ a plazos.” (They pay in instalments.)

  • (a) pago
  • (b) pagas
  • (c) pagan

Answer: pagan — The subject needs the ellos/ellas/Uds. form, which is pagan.

7. Which is the correct yo form of pagar in the present?

  • (a) pago
  • (b) paga
  • (c) pagan

Answer: pago — The yo form is pago. The other two options are the él/ella and ellos/ellas forms.

8. Which sentence describes a habit, something that happens regularly?

  • (a) Yo pago la cuenta todos los días.
  • (b) Ayer yo pagué la cuenta.
  • (c) Ayer yo pagué la cuenta.

Answer: Yo pago la cuenta todos los días. — “Yo pago la cuenta todos los días.” describes something repeated, so it takes the present tense. The other two sentences describe single finished occasions in the past, not habits.

Frequently asked questions

Is pagar regular in the present tense?

Yes. Pagar is regular in the present: pago, pagas, paga, pagamos, pagáis, pagan. The spelling change g → gu appears only before an e, in the preterite yo form (pagué) and in the subjunctive (pague, pagues), never in the present indicative.

Does pagar take a preposition before what you pay for?

No. What you pay for is the direct object: 'Pago la cuenta', 'Pago el alquiler'. Use a for the person you pay ('Pago a los empleados') and con for the method ('Pago con tarjeta').

What is the difference between pagar and costar?

Pagar means to pay, the action you do, while costar means to cost, the price of something. You pay the bill (pagar la cuenta) because the meal costs twenty euros (la cena cuesta veinte euros). The two verbs describe the same purchase from opposite sides.

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