Pagare Conjugation in Italian
pagare means “to pay” in English, and it is one of the first verbs Italian learners meet — it sits at number 89 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for Italian verbs. It means to pay for something, and it is regular apart from its spelling: the -gare stem keeps its hard g by inserting h before e and i, so the tu form is paghi and the future is pagherò. This page gives you the complete conjugation of pagare — every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle — with notes, examples, common mistakes and a quiz. Here is the verb in a natural sentence: “Io pago il conto ogni giorno.” — “I pay the bill.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: pagare
- English: to pay
- Verb type: Regular -are verb
- Irregular in: none — regular in every tense
- Gerund: pagando
- Present participle: pagante
- Past participle: pagato
- Auxiliary: avere (all perfect tenses are formed with avere + the past participle)
- Ending: -are verbs; pattern are in the verified tables
Pronunciation
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for pagare, 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 pagare in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about pagare
- It is regular: every form follows the ordinary -are pattern, so once you know the stem you can build the whole table. The only work is learning the endings, not memorising exceptions. The -gare stem keeps its hard g by inserting h before e and i, so the tu form is paghi and the future is pagherò.
- The perfect tenses use avere: the passato prossimo is formed with avere in the present plus the past participle pagato. The tables on this page give the participle in the masculine singular form, exactly as it appears in the verified dump; agreement with the subject is a separate step that depends on the sentence, not on the verb table.
- The participles are pagante and pagato: 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 pagare. Learn the present tense first, then the passato prossimo and the imperfect, and add the remaining tenses one at a time.
Present indicative (presente)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | pago |
| tu | paghi |
| lui/lei | paga |
| noi | paghiamo |
| voi | pagate |
| loro | pagano |
The present indicative is used for habits, facts and things happening now. For example: “Io pago il conto ogni giorno.” — “I pay the bill”
Passato remoto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | pagai |
| tu | pagasti |
| lui/lei | pagò |
| noi | pagammo |
| voi | pagaste |
| loro | pagarono |
The passato remoto is used for completed actions in the distant past, mostly in written and literary Italian and in the south of Italy. For example: “Io pagai il conto ieri.” — “I paid the bill”
Imperfect (imperfetto)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | pagavo |
| tu | pagavi |
| lui/lei | pagava |
| noi | pagavamo |
| voi | pagavate |
| loro | pagavano |
The imperfect is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. For example: “Io pagavo il conto una volta.” — “I used to pay the bill”
Future (futuro semplice)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | pagherò |
| tu | pagherai |
| lui/lei | pagherà |
| noi | pagheremo |
| voi | pagherete |
| loro | pagheranno |
The future is used for what will happen, for predictions and for probability. For example: “Io pagherò il conto domani.” — “I will pay the bill”
Conditional (condizionale)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | pagherei |
| tu | pagheresti |
| lui/lei | pagherebbe |
| noi | pagheremmo |
| voi | paghereste |
| loro | pagherebbero |
The conditional is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. For example: “Io pagherei il conto un giorno.” — “I would pay the bill”
Present perfect (passato prossimo)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | ho pagato |
| tu | hai pagato |
| lui/lei | ha pagato |
| noi | abbiamo pagato |
| voi | avete pagato |
| loro | hanno pagato |
The passato prossimo is used for completed actions in the past, especially in spoken Italian. For example: “Lui ha pagato il conto questa settimana.” — “He has paid the bill”
Pluperfect (trapassato prossimo)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | avevo pagato |
| tu | avevi pagato |
| lui/lei | aveva pagato |
| noi | avevamo pagato |
| voi | avevate pagato |
| loro | avevano pagato |
The pluperfect is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Io avevo pagato il conto prima della festa.” — “I had paid the bill”
Future perfect (futuro anteriore)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | avrò pagato |
| tu | avrai pagato |
| lui/lei | avrà pagato |
| noi | avremo pagato |
| voi | avrete pagato |
| loro | avranno pagato |
The future perfect is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Io avrò pagato il conto per domani.” — “I will have paid the bill”
Conditional perfect (condizionale passato)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | avrei pagato |
| tu | avresti pagato |
| lui/lei | avrebbe pagato |
| noi | avremmo pagato |
| voi | avreste pagato |
| loro | avrebbero pagato |
The conditional perfect is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Io avrei pagato il conto ieri.” — “I would have paid the bill”
Present subjunctive (congiuntivo presente)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | paghi |
| tu | paghi |
| lui/lei | paghi |
| noi | paghiamo |
| voi | paghiate |
| loro | paghino |
The present subjunctive is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after che. For example: “È importante che io paghi il conto.” — “It is important that I pay the bill”
Imperfect subjunctive (congiuntivo imperfetto)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | pagassi |
| tu | pagassi |
| lui/lei | pagasse |
| noi | pagassimo |
| voi | pagaste |
| loro | pagassero |
The imperfect subjunctive is used in the past for wishes and hypotheticals after che, and in if-clauses. For example: “Era importante che io pagassi il conto.” — “It was important that I pay the bill”
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | paga |
| lui/lei | paghi |
| noi | paghiamo |
| voi | pagate |
| loro | paghino |
The affirmative imperative is used for direct commands and instructions. For example: “Paga il conto!” — “Pay the bill!”
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | pagare |
| lui/lei | paghi |
| noi | paghiamo |
| voi | paghiate |
| loro | paghino |
The negative imperative is used for prohibitions and negative commands. For example: “Non pagare il conto.” — “Do not pay the bill.”
Gerund
| Form | Italian |
|---|---|
| Gerund | pagando |
The gerund is used for an action happening at the same time as another action, often with stare for the progressive. For example: “Pagando il conto, imparo molto.” — “While paying the bill, I learn a lot.”
Present participle
| Form | Italian |
|---|---|
| Present participle | pagante |
The present participle is used as an adjective, describing an ongoing action. For example, the participle pagante is used to describe something that is happening at the same time as the main action, much like an English -ing adjective.
Past participle
| Form | Italian |
|---|---|
| Past participle | pagato |
The past participle is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Io ho pagato il conto questa settimana.” — “I have paid the bill.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with pagare, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the Italian and try to produce it from the English.
- “Io pago il conto ogni giorno.” — “I pay the bill”
- “Tu pagasti il conto ieri.” — “You paid the bill”
- “Lui pagava il conto una volta.” — “He used to pay the bill”
- “Io pagherò il conto domani.” — “I will pay the bill”
- “Tu pagheresti il conto un giorno.” — “You would pay the bill”
- “Lui ha pagato il conto questa settimana.” — “He has paid the bill”
- “Io avevo pagato il conto prima della festa.” — “I had paid the bill”
- “Tu avrai pagato il conto per domani.” — “You will have paid the bill”
- “È importante che io paghi il conto.” — “It is important that I pay the bill”
- “Paga il conto!” — “Pay the bill!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Io pagare il conto.”
✓ Right: “Io pago il conto ogni giorno.”
The infinitive pagare never takes a subject. After io you need the conjugated present form pago.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Io paghi il conto.”
✓ Right: “Io pago il conto ogni giorno.”
paghi is the tu form, not the io form. Match the verb to the subject every time: io goes with pago.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Io pago il conto ieri.”
✓ Right: “Io ho pagato il conto questa settimana.”
Yesterday points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the passato prossimo ho pagato for a finished action yesterday.
4. Using the wrong auxiliary in the passato prossimo
✗ Wrong: “Io sono pagato il conto.”
✓ Right: “Io ho pagato il conto questa settimana.”
The passato prossimo of pagare is formed with avere plus the past participle pagato: the io form is ho pagato. Check the auxiliary in the table above before you build a perfect tense.
5. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger
✗ Wrong: “È importante che io pago il conto.”
✓ Right: “È importante che io paghi il conto.”
After è importante che Italian needs the subjunctive, so use paghi here, not the indicative pago.
6. Using the gerund instead of the past participle in a perfect tense
✗ Wrong: “Io ho pagando il conto.”
✓ Right: “Io ho pagato il conto questa settimana.”
The perfect tenses need the past participle pagato, not the gerund pagando. The gerund belongs in progressive constructions, never after an auxiliary in a perfect tense.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on pagare. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the io form of pagare in the Present indicative?
- A) paghi
- B) pago
- C) paga
- D) paghiamo
What is the lui/lei form of pagare in the Passato remoto?
- A) pagai
- B) pagasti
- C) pagò
- D) pagammo
What is the noi form of pagare in the Imperfect?
- A) pagavo
- B) pagavi
- C) pagava
- D) pagavamo
What is the tu form of pagare in the Future?
- A) pagherai
- B) pagherò
- C) pagherà
- D) pagheremo
What is the io form of pagare in the Conditional?
- A) pagheresti
- B) pagherei
- C) pagherebbe
- D) pagheremmo
What is the lui/lei form of pagare in the Present perfect (passato prossimo)?
- A) ho pagato
- B) hai pagato
- C) ha pagato
- D) abbiamo pagato
What is the lui/lei form of pagare in the Present subjunctive?
- A) paghiamo
- B) paghiate
- C) paghino
- D) paghi
What is the io form of pagare in the Imperfect subjunctive?
- A) pagassi
- B) pagasse
- C) pagassimo
- D) pagaste
What is the gerund of pagare?
- A) pagato
- B) pagando
- C) pagare
- D) pago
What does pagare mean in English?
- A) to sit down
- B) to get dressed
- C) to pay
- D) to call
Answer key
- B) pago — the correct form is pago. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) pagò — the correct form is pagò. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) pagavamo — the correct form is pagavamo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) pagherai — the correct form is pagherai. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) pagherei — the correct form is pagherei. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) ha pagato — the correct form is ha pagato. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) paghi — the correct form is paghi. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) pagassi — the correct form is pagassi. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) pagando — the correct form is pagando. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) to pay — the correct form is to pay. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
Frequently asked questions
What does pagare mean in English?
pagare means “to pay”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is pagare regular or irregular?
pagare is regular: it follows the ordinary -are pattern in every tense. The gerund is pagando and the past participle is pagato.
What are the gerund and past participle of pagare?
The gerund is pagando — use it with stare for the progressive. The past participle is pagato — use it with avere for the perfect tenses, as in ho pagato.
Which auxiliary does pagare take in the passato prossimo?
pagare takes avere in the passato prossimo: the io form is ho pagato. All four perfect tenses on this page are built with avere plus the past participle pagato.
How do I say “I pay” in Italian?
Say “Io pago il conto ogni giorno.” — “I pay the bill” The io form of the present is pago, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of pagare — every tense of pagare in one place.
- Pagare in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Pagare examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice questions for this verb.
- Italian present tense guide — the full guide to the present tense in Italian.
- Chiamare conjugation — another everyday Italian verb.
- Cercare conjugation — another everyday Italian verb.
- Italian verbs — the full hub of Italian conjugation pages.
- VerbFlow home — all languages, tools and verb lists.
- Verb Conjugator — practise pagare with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise pagare with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise pagare with the interactive tool.