Ella VerbsHow to conjugate Pagar in Spanish
pagar to pay, to pay (for) Irregular Verb Top 100
At a glance: Pagar (to pay, to pay (for)) is one of the most common irregular verbs in Spanish. In the present tense: pago, pagas, paga, pagamos, pagáis, pagan. The present tense is regular. In the preterite: yo adds a u (pagué); the other forms are regular. It is also irregular in the present subjunctive (pague).
- Past participle
- pagado paid
- Gerund
- pagando paying
- Similar
- abonar
Table of contents
- Indicative tenses of Pagar
- Pagar in the Indicative Present
- Pagar in the Indicative Preterite
- Pagar in the Indicative Imperfect
- Pagar in the Indicative Present Continuous
- Pagar in the Indicative Informal Future
- Pagar in the Indicative Future
- Pagar in the Indicative Conditional
- Pagar in the Indicative Present Perfect
- Pagar in the Indicative Past Perfect
- Pagar in the Indicative Future Perfect
- Pagar in the Indicative Conditional Perfect
- Subjunctive tenses of Pagar
- Imperative tenses of Pagar
- Verbs that follow the same patterns
- Example sentences and usage
- Frequently asked questions
- Downloadable cheat sheet (PDF)
- Practise Pagar conjugations (free mobile app)
Pagar conjugation tables as a PDF
A printable two-page cheat sheet, sent to your inbox.
Indicative tenses of Pagar
Pagar in the Indicative Present
The Indicative Present of pagar is used to talk about situations, events or thoughts that are happening now or in the near future. It is also used to talk about facts and truths. For example, “pago por la comida”, meaning “I pay for the meal”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Present is known as "El Presente".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | pago | I pay |
| Tú | pagas | you pay |
| Ella / Él / Usted | paga | s/he pays |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | pagamos | we pay |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | pagáis | you (plural) pay |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | pagan | they pay |
How it’s built: Regular: stem pag- plus the -ar endings.
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Pagar in the Indicative Preterite
The Indicative Preterite of pagar is used to talk about actions completed in the past, at a specific point in time. For example, “pagué por la comida”, meaning “I paid for the meal”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Preterite is known as "El Pretérito Indefinido".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | pagué | I paid |
| Tú | pagaste | you paid |
| Ella / Él / Usted | pagó | s/he paid |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | pagamos | we paid |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | pagasteis | you (plural) paid |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | pagaron | they paid |
How it’s built: Yo adds a u (pagué); the other forms are regular.
Letters in red show where a form differs from the regular pattern.
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Pagar in the Indicative Imperfect
The Indicative Imperfect of pagar is used to describe regular and repeated actions that happened in the past and descriptions of things you used to do. For example, “pagaba por la comida”, meaning “I used to pay for the meal”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Imperfect is known as "El Pretérito Imperfecto".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | pagaba | I used to pay |
| Tú | pagabas | you used to pay |
| Ella / Él / Usted | pagaba | s/he used to pay |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | pagábamos | we used to pay |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | pagabais | you (plural) used to pay |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | pagaban | they used to pay |
How it’s built: Regular: stem pag- plus the -ar endings.
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Pagar in the Indicative Present Continuous
The Indicative Present Continuous of pagar is used to talk about something that is happening continuously or right now. For example, “estoy pagando por la comida”, meaning “I am paying for the meal”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Present Continuous is known as "El Presente Progresivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | estoy pagando | I am paying |
| Tú | estás pagando | you are paying |
| Ella / Él / Usted | está pagando | s/he is paying |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | estamos pagando | we are paying |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | estáis pagando | you (plural) are paying |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | están pagando | they are paying |
How it’s built: Estar in the present (estoy, estás, está, estamos, estáis, están) plus the gerund pagando.
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Pagar in the Indicative Informal Future
The Indicative Informal Future of pagar is used to talk about something that will happen in the future, especially in the near future. For example, “voy a pagar por la comida”, meaning “I am going to pay for the meal”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Informal Future is known as "El Futuro Próximo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | voy a pagar | I am going to pay |
| Tú | vas a pagar | you are going to pay |
| Ella / Él / Usted | va a pagar | s/he is going to pay |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | vamos a pagar | we are going to pay |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | vais a pagar | you (plural) are going to pay |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | van a pagar | they are going to pay |
How it’s built: Ir in the present (voy, vas, va, vamos, vais, van), then a, then the infinitive pagar.
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Pagar in the Indicative Future
The Indicative Future of pagar is used to talk about something that will happen in the future. For example, “pagaré por la comida”, meaning “I will pay for the meal”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Future is known as "El Futuro Simple".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | pagaré | I will pay |
| Tú | pagarás | you will pay |
| Ella / Él / Usted | pagará | s/he will pay |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | pagaremos | we will pay |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | pagaréis | you (plural) will pay |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | pagarán | they will pay |
How it’s built: Regular: the infinitive pagar plus the future endings.
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Pagar in the Indicative Conditional
The Indicative Conditional of pagar is used to talk about something that may happen in the future, hypothesis and probabilities. For example, “pagaría por la comida”, meaning “I would pay for the meal”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Conditional is known as "El Condicional Simple".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | pagaría | I would pay |
| Tú | pagarías | you would pay |
| Ella / Él / Usted | pagaría | s/he would pay |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | pagaríamos | we would pay |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | pagaríais | you (plural) would pay |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | pagarían | they would pay |
How it’s built: Regular: the infinitive pagar plus the conditional endings.
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Pagar in the Indicative Present Perfect
The Indicative Present Perfect of pagar is used to describe actions that started recently (in the past) and are still happening now or things that have been done recently. For example, “he pagado por la comida”, meaning “I have paid for the meal”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Present Perfect is known as "El Pretérito Perfecto".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | he pagado | I have paid |
| Tú | has pagado | you have paid |
| Ella / Él / Usted | ha pagado | s/he has paid |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | hemos pagado | we have paid |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | habéis pagado | you (plural) have paid |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | han pagado | they have paid |
How it’s built: Haber in the present (he, has, ha, hemos, habéis, han) plus the past participle pagado.
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Pagar in the Indicative Past Perfect
The Indicative Past Perfect of pagar is used to talk about actions that happened before another action in the past. For example, “había pagado por la comida”, meaning “I had paid for the meal”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Past Perfect is known as "El Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | había pagado | I had paid |
| Tú | habías pagado | you had paid |
| Ella / Él / Usted | había pagado | s/he had paid |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | habíamos pagado | we had paid |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | habíais pagado | you (plural) had paid |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | habían pagado | they had paid |
How it’s built: Haber in the imperfect (había, habías, había, habíamos, habíais, habían) plus the past participle pagado.
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Pagar in the Indicative Future Perfect
The Indicative Future Perfect of pagar is used to talk about something that will have happened in the future after something else has already happened. For example, “habré pagado por la comida”, meaning “I will have paid for the meal”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Future Perfect is known as "El Futuro Perfecto".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | habré pagado | I will have paid |
| Tú | habrás pagado | you will have paid |
| Ella / Él / Usted | habrá pagado | s/he will have paid |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | habremos pagado | we will have paid |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | habréis pagado | you (plural) will have paid |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | habrán pagado | they will have paid |
How it’s built: Haber in the future (habré, habrás, habrá, habremos, habréis, habrán) plus the past participle pagado.
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Pagar in the Indicative Conditional Perfect
The Indicative Conditional Perfect of pagar is used to talk about something that would have happened in the past but didn’t due to another action. For example, “habría pagado por la comida”, meaning “I would have paid for the meal”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Conditional Perfect is known as "El Condicional Perfecto".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | habría pagado | I would have paid |
| Tú | habrías pagado | you would have paid |
| Ella / Él / Usted | habría pagado | s/he would have paid |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | habríamos pagado | we would have paid |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | habríais pagado | you (plural) would have paid |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | habrían pagado | they would have paid |
How it’s built: Haber in the conditional (habría, habrías, habría, habríamos, habríais, habrían) plus the past participle pagado.
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Subjunctive tenses of Pagar
Pagar in the Subjunctive Present
The Subjunctive Present is used to talk about situations of uncertainty, or emotions such as wishes, desires and hopes. It differs from the indicative mood due to the uncertainty of the events which are being spoken about. For example, “pague”, meaning “I pay”.
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Present is known as "El Presente de Subjuntivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | pague | I pay |
| Tú | pagues | you pay |
| Ella / Él / Usted | pague | s/he pays |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | paguemos | we pay |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | paguéis | you (plural) pay |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | paguen | they pay |
How it’s built: Every form adds a u (pague, pagues, pague, paguemos, paguéis, paguen).
Letters in red show where a form differs from the regular pattern.
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Pagar in the Subjunctive Imperfect
The Subjunctive Imperfect is used to speak about unlikely or uncertain events in the past or to cast an opinion (emotional) about something that happened in the past. For example, “pagara”, meaning “I paid”.
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Imperfect is known as "El Imperfecto Subjuntivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | pagara | I paid |
| Tú | pagaras | you paid |
| Ella / Él / Usted | pagara | s/he paid |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | pagáramos | we paid |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | pagarais | you (plural) paid |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | pagaran | they paid |
How it’s built: Regular: the ellas/ellos preterite, pagaron, without -ron, plus the -ra endings; nosotros adds an accent (pagáramos).
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Pagar in the Subjunctive Future
The Subjunctive Future is used to speak about hypothetical situations, and actions/events that may happen in the future. For example, “pagare”, meaning “I will pay”.
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Future is known as "El Futuro de Subjuntivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | pagare | I will pay |
| Tú | pagares | you will pay |
| Ella / Él / Usted | pagare | s/he will pay |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | pagáremos | we will pay |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | pagareis | you (plural) will pay |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | pagaren | they will pay |
How it’s built: Regular: the ellas/ellos preterite, pagaron, without -ron, plus the -re endings; nosotros adds an accent (pagáremos).
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Pagar in the Subjunctive Present Perfect
The Subjunctive Present Perfect is used to describe past actions or events that are still connected to the present day and to speak about an action that will have happened by a certain time in the future. For example, “haya pagado”, meaning “I have paid”.
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Present Perfect is known as "El Pretérito Perfecto de Subjuntivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | haya pagado | I have paid |
| Tú | hayas pagado | you have paid |
| Ella / Él / Usted | haya pagado | s/he has paid |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | hayamos pagado | we have paid |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | hayáis pagado | you (plural) have paid |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | hayan pagado | they have paid |
How it’s built: Haber in the subjunctive present (haya, hayas, haya, hayamos, hayáis, hayan) plus the past participle pagado.
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Pagar in the Subjunctive Past Perfect
The Subjunctive Past Perfect is used to speak about hypothetical situations, and actions/events that occurred before other actions/events in the past. For example, “hubiera pagado”, meaning “I had paid”.
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Past Perfect is known as "El Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto de Subjuntivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | hubiera pagado | I had paid |
| Tú | hubieras pagado | you had paid |
| Ella / Él / Usted | hubiera pagado | s/he had paid |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | hubiéramos pagado | we had paid |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | hubierais pagado | you (plural) had paid |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | hubieran pagado | they had paid |
How it’s built: Haber in the subjunctive imperfect (hubiera, hubieras, hubiera, hubiéramos, hubierais, hubieran) plus the past participle pagado.
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Pagar in the Subjunctive Future Perfect
The Subjunctive Future Perfect is used to speak about something that will have happened if a hypothetical situations occurs in the future. For example, “hubiere pagado”, meaning “I will have paid”.
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Future Perfect is known as "El Futuro Perfecto de Subjuntivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | hubiere pagado | I will have paid |
| Tú | hubieres pagado | you will have paid |
| Ella / Él / Usted | hubiere pagado | s/he will have paid |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | hubiéremos pagado | we will have paid |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | hubiereis pagado | you (plural) will have paid |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | hubieren pagado | they will have paid |
How it’s built: Haber in the subjunctive future (hubiere, hubieres, hubiere, hubiéremos, hubiereis, hubieren) plus the past participle pagado.
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Imperative tenses of Pagar
Pagar in the Imperative Affirmative
The Imperative Affirmative is used to give orders and commands, to tell someone to do something. For example, “pague”, meaning “(to you formal) pay!”.
In Spanish, the Imperative Affirmative is known as "El Imperativo Afirmativo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | - | - |
| Tú | paga | (to you) pay! |
| Ella / Él / Usted | pague | (to you formal) pay! |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | paguemos | let's pay! |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | pagad | (to you plural) pay! |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | paguen | (to you plural formal) pay! |
How it’s built: Tú takes the ella/él present (paga); usted, nosotros and ustedes take the subjunctive present (pague, paguemos, paguen); vosotros swaps the final r of the infinitive for a d (pagad).
Letters in red show where a form differs from the regular pattern.
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Pagar in the Imperative Negative
The Imperative Negative is used to give orders and commands, telling someone not to do something. For example, “no pague”, meaning “(to you formal) don't pay!”.
In Spanish, the Imperative Negative is known as "El Imperativo Negativo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | - | - |
| Tú | no pagues | (to you) don't pay! |
| Ella / Él / Usted | no pague | (to you formal) don't pay! |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | no paguemos | let's not pay! |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | no paguéis | (to you plural) don't pay! |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | no paguen | (to you plural formal) don't pay! |
How it’s built: No plus the subjunctive present: no pagues, no pague, no paguemos, no paguéis, no paguen.
Letters in red show where a form differs from the regular pattern.
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Example sentences and usage
- ¡Deja ya de pedirme bebidas! ¿Por qué no te las pagas tú? Stop asking me for a drink! Go get it yourself.
- La vida comienza cuando uno paga impuestos. Life begins when you pay taxes.
- Se te pagará según la cantidad de trabajo que realices. You'll be paid according to the amount of work you do.
- Te pagaremos según la cantidad de trabajo que hagas. We will pay you according to the amount of work you do.
- Has actuado como un idiota y pagarás las consecuencias. You've acted foolishly and you will pay for it.
- Lo haré si me pagas. I will do it on condition that I am paid.
- Se te pagará según tu habilidad. You will be paid according to your ability.
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Frequently asked questions about Pagar
Is pagar a regular or irregular verb?
Pagar is an irregular Spanish verb. The present tense is regular. In the preterite: yo adds a u (pagué); the other forms are regular. It is also irregular in the present subjunctive (pague).
How do you conjugate pagar in the present tense (presente)?
In the present tense (presente), pagar is conjugated as: yo pago, tú pagas, él/ella/usted paga, nosotros pagamos, vosotros pagáis, ellos/ellas/ustedes pagan. The present tense is used To talk about situations, events or thoughts that are happening now or in the near future. It is also used to talk about facts and truths.
How do you conjugate pagar in the preterite (pretérito indefinido)?
In the preterite (pretérito indefinido), pagar is conjugated as: yo pagué, tú pagaste, él/ella/usted pagó, nosotros pagamos, vosotros pagasteis, ellos/ellas/ustedes pagaron. The preterite is used To talk about actions completed in the past, at a specific point in time.
How do you conjugate pagar in the imperfect (pretérito imperfecto)?
In the imperfect (pretérito imperfecto), pagar is conjugated as: yo pagaba, tú pagabas, él/ella/usted pagaba, nosotros pagábamos, vosotros pagabais, ellos/ellas/ustedes pagaban. The imperfect is used To describe regular and repeated actions that happened in the past and descriptions of things you used to do.
How do you conjugate pagar in the future tense (futuro simple)?
In the future tense (futuro simple), pagar is conjugated as: yo pagaré, tú pagarás, él/ella/usted pagará, nosotros pagaremos, vosotros pagaréis, ellos/ellas/ustedes pagarán. The future tense is used To talk about something that will happen in the future.
How do you conjugate pagar in the present subjunctive (subjuntivo presente)?
In the present subjunctive (subjuntivo presente), pagar is conjugated as: yo pague, tú pagues, él/ella/usted pague, nosotros paguemos, vosotros paguéis, ellos/ellas/ustedes paguen. The present subjunctive is used To talk about situations of uncertainty, or emotions such as wishes, desires and hopes. It differs from the indicative mood due to the uncertainty of the events which are being spoken about.
What are some common example sentences using pagar?
Here are everyday sentences using pagar: ¡Deja ya de pedirme bebidas! ¿Por qué no te las pagas tú? (Stop asking me for a drink! Go get it yourself.) La vida comienza cuando uno paga impuestos. (Life begins when you pay taxes.) Se te pagará según la cantidad de trabajo que realices. (You'll be paid according to the amount of work you do.) Te pagaremos según la cantidad de trabajo que hagas. (We will pay you according to the amount of work you do.) Has actuado como un idiota y pagarás las consecuencias. (You've acted foolishly and you will pay for it.)
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Downloadable cheat sheets
Download and print a cheat sheet of Pagar Spanish conjugation tables in image or PDF format:
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Practise Pagar conjugations (free mobile & web app)
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About Ella Verbs
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Want to explore other verb conjugations?
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