Irregular verb
The verb to pay
pay → paid → paid
A2Meaning: to give money for something · Type: irregular · Frequency: Top 50 English verbs
Key points to remember
- Present Simple:
I/you/we/they pay·he/she/it pays - Past Simple:
paid - Past participle:
paid(the same as the Past Simple) - -ing form:
paying
Conjugation of the verb to pay
Present Simple
| I | pay |
| You | pay |
| He / She / It | pays |
| We | pay |
| You (pl.) | pay |
| They | pay |
Past Simple
| I | paid |
| You | paid |
| He / She / It | paid |
| We | paid |
| You (pl.) | paid |
| They | paid |
All the forms of the verb to pay
Present Simple
Full pagepay / pays
“I pay by card.”
See the pagePresent Continuous
Full pageam / is / are paying
“I am paying the bill right now.”
See the pagePast Simple
Full pagepaid
“I paid 20 euros for the book.”
See the pagePast Continuous
Full pagewas / were paying
“I was paying the bill when the phone rang.”
See the pagePresent Perfect
Full pagehave / has paid
“I have already paid the bill.”
See the pagePast Perfect
Full pagehad paid
“She had already paid the bill when I arrived.”
See the pageFuture Simple
Full pagewill pay
“I will pay the bill tomorrow.”
See the pageGoing to Future
Full pageam / is / are going to pay
“I'm going to pay the bill this weekend.”
See the pageConditional (would)
Full pagewould pay
“I would pay the bill if I had time.”
See the pageHow to use to pay
1. Paying money
Pay + amount of money / pay for + thing.
- I paid 20 euros.
- I paid for the meal.
2. Paying attention
Pay attention = to listen or watch carefully.
- Pay attention!
- Pay attention to the teacher.
Common mistakes to avoid
1. I paid the book ❌
With the thing you buy, use pay for: I paid for the book ✓ / I paid the book ✗.
2. Payed ❌
The past of pay is paid, like say → said. Payed is wrong.
Going further
Conjugating to pay is a key skill in the English contest
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Related pages: pay
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
Frequently asked questions
What is the past simple of pay?+
The Past Simple of pay is paid (/peɪd/), the same for every person. The past participle is also paid. Pay → paid → paid.
Is it pay something or pay for something?+
Use pay + an amount of money: I paid 20 euros. Use pay for + the thing you buy: I paid for the meal. So you pay for the book, not pay the book. But you can pay the bill or pay a person.
What is the difference between pay and buy?+
Pay means to give money. Buy means to get something with money. They often go together: I bought a book and paid 20 euros for it. Buy is about getting the thing; pay is about the money.
What does pay attention mean?+
Pay attention means to listen or watch carefully. It is a fixed expression: Pay attention in class. Make attention is a common mistake: the verb is always pay.
Is it paid or payed?+
Write paid, pronounced /peɪd/. The past of pay has a special spelling, like say → said and lay → laid: the y becomes i. Payed is a common spelling mistake.
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/verbs/pay
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.