Irregular verbs  Regular verbs

pay, pays, paying, paid
Synonyms: compensate, remunerate, settle, expend, spend

Antonyms: receive, charge, take, owe, default

The Verb Pay – Definition, Usage, and Clarification


The verb pay is a very common irregular verb. Its core meaning is to give someone money for work done or for goods received. Figuratively, it means to give attention, a compliment, or to suffer a consequence.


VERB FORMS


■ Base Form: pay
■ Past Simple: paid
■ Past Participle: paid
■ Present Participle/Gerund: paying


USAGE AND CONTEXT


'Pay' is a fundamental verb in daily life, used in financial, social, and figurative contexts.


1. Financial Transactions
This is the most direct and common meaning.


■ Goods/Services: 'How would you like to pay for your groceries?'
■ Salary: 'The company pays its employees on the last Friday of the month.'
■ Debt: 'He needs to pay back the loan he took from the bank.'


2. Figurative and Idiomatic Use
This involves 'giving' something other than money.


■ Attention: 'You need to pay attention in class if you want to pass the exam.'
■ Compliment/Visit: 'She paid him a compliment on his new suit.' / 'Let's pay a visit to our grandparents this weekend.'
■ Consequences: 'He made a terrible mistake and now he must pay the price.'


ℹ IMPORTANT: COMMON PHRASES AND PREPOSITIONSPay for: Used for the item or service received. (e.g., 'Pay for the meal.')
■ Pay + Person: Directly giving money to someone. (e.g., 'Pay the cashier.')
■ Pay off: To finish paying a debt completely. (e.g., 'She finally paid off her student loans.')
■ It pays to...: An idiom meaning it is worthwhile or advantageous to do something. (e.g., 'It pays to be honest.')



PAY - PRESENT SIMPLE
★ Ipay
★ youpay
★ he/she/itpays
★ wepay
★ you (plural)pay
★ theypay
Examples of the verb 'pay' in the Present Simple
- I pay my bills at the end of the month.
- You pay close attention to details.
- He pays for his coffee in cash. | She pays her employees a fair wage.
- We pay our respects to the family.
- You (plural) pay the price for your mistakes.
- They pay taxes to the government.
PAY - PRESENT CONTINUOUS
★ I ampaying
★ you arepaying
★ he/she/it ispaying
★ we arepaying
★ you arepaying
★ they arepaying
Examples of the verb 'pay' in the Present Continuous
- I am paying for the groceries.
- You are paying the price for your decisions.
- He is paying his son's tuition. | She is paying the mechanic for the repairs.
- We are paying our debt to society.
- You (plural) are paying for your tickets online.
- They are paying the workers for their labor.
PAY - PRESENT PERFECT
★ I havepaid
★ you havepaid
★ he/she/it haspaid
★ we havepaid
★ you havepaid
★ they havepaid
Examples of the verb 'pay' in the Present Perfect
- I have already paid the rent for this month.
- You have paid your dues and earned your place.
- He has paid a lot of money for that car. | She has paid the fine.
- We have paid our final respects.
- You (plural) have paid for your crimes.
- They have paid the ransom.
PAY - PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS
★ I have beenpaying
★ you have beenpaying
★ he/she/it has beenpaying
★ we have beenpaying
★ you have beenpaying
★ they have beenpaying
Examples of the verb 'pay' in the Present Perfect Continuous
- I have been paying off my student loan for five years.
- You have been paying for that subscription for too long.
- He has been paying his mortgage for over a decade. | She has been paying attention in class.
- We have been paying for their education.
- You (plural) have been paying into your pension fund.
- They have been paying the consequences of their actions.
PAY - PAST SIMPLE
★ Ipaid
★ youpaid
★ he/she/itpaid
★ wepaid
★ you (plural)paid
★ theypaid
Examples of the verb 'pay' in the Past Simple
- I paid for dinner with my credit card last night.
- You paid me a nice compliment yesterday.
- He paid a visit to his grandparents. | She paid a high price for her success.
- We paid the invoice as soon as we received it.
- You (plural) paid the entrance fee.
- They paid their workers on Friday.
PAY - PAST CONTINUOUS
★ I waspaying
★ you werepaying
★ he/she/it waspaying
★ we werepaying
★ you werepaying
★ they werepaying
Examples of the verb 'pay' in the Past Continuous
- I was paying the cashier when my card was declined.
- You were paying for your meal when you saw him.
- He was paying his bills online. | She was paying the taxi driver.
- We were paying our respects at the funeral.
- You (plural) were paying the employees.
- They were paying off their debts.
PAY - PAST PERFECT
★ I hadpaid
★ you hadpaid
★ he/she/it hadpaid
★ we hadpaid
★ you hadpaid
★ they hadpaid
Examples of the verb 'pay' in the Past Perfect
- I had paid the fee long before the deadline.
- You had paid your debt, so you were free to go.
- He had paid for the tickets in advance. | She had paid the bill before I could.
- We had paid our respects and left the service.
- You (plural) had paid the workers.
- They had paid the deposit.
PAY - PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS
★ I had beenpaying
★ you had beenpaying
★ he/she/it had beenpaying
★ we had beenpaying
★ you had beenpaying
★ they had beenpaying
Examples of the verb 'pay' in the Past Perfect Continuous
- I had been paying for that subscription for a year before I cancelled it.
- You had been paying your mortgage for years.
- He had been paying for the damages. | She had been paying her student loans.
- We had been paying into that fund for a decade.
- You (plural) had been paying for the service without using it.
- They had been paying the price for their poor choices.
PAY - FUTURE SIMPLE
★ I willpay
★ you willpay
★ he/she/it willpay
★ we willpay
★ you willpay
★ they willpay
Examples of the verb 'pay' in the Future Simple
- I will pay you back tomorrow, I promise.
- You will pay for your actions one day.
- He will pay the bill. | She will pay a visit to the museum.
- We will pay our respects at the ceremony.
- You (plural) will pay the tuition fees.
- They will pay the full amount next week.
PAY - FUTURE CONTINUOUS
★ I will bepaying
★ you will bepaying
★ he/she/it will bepaying
★ we will bepaying
★ you will bepaying
★ they will bepaying
Examples of the verb 'pay' in the Future Continuous
- I will be paying my taxes online next week.
- You will be paying for this for a long time.
- He will be paying his rent tomorrow. | She will be paying her employees.
- We will be paying our bills at the end of the month.
- You (plural) will be paying the installments for the next year.
- They will be paying their debts.
PAY - FUTURE PERFECT
★ I will havepaid
★ you will havepaid
★ he/she/it will havepaid
★ we will havepaid
★ you will havepaid
★ they will havepaid
Examples of the verb 'pay' in the Future Perfect
- I will have paid off my car loan by next year.
- You will have paid your debt to society by then.
- He will have paid the full price by the final installment. | She will have paid her tuition.
- We will have paid all our suppliers by the end of the day.
- You (plural) will have paid your taxes for the year.
- They will have paid back the loan.
PAY - FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS
★ I will have beenpaying
★ you will have beenpaying
★ he/she/it will have beenpaying
★ we will have beenpaying
★ you will have beenpaying
★ they will have beenpaying
Examples of the verb 'pay' in the Future Perfect Continuous
- By the end of the month, I will have been paying this mortgage for ten years.
- You will have been paying that subscription for five years.
- He will have been paying off his student debt for his entire thirties. | She will have been paying into her savings account.
- We will have been paying for this service.
- You (plural) will have been paying your dues for a long time.
- They will have been paying the price for years.

Conjugation of the verb To Pay