Level A2 (Upper Beginner)
Today’s lesson explains how to use the verb payer meaning “to pay” and “to pay for”. This verb has a very specific grammar rule which makes it different from English. Keep reading!
Pronunciation
Grammar
Example sentences
Pronunciation
Grammar
The grammar for payer is: “Payer + direct object” and not “payer pour (for) + direct object“. Hence, je paie le café (I pay for the coffee).
Example sentences
This first sentence uses est-ce que, meaning is, are, do and does for yes-no questions. The bill in a restaurant is l’addition.
Martin, est-ce que tu as payé l’addition ?
Martin, did you pay the bill?
Notice that for this sentence there is no pour (for). To say “I pay my bills” and “I pay for my bills”, it’s “Je paie mes factures”. The feminine noun facture is used for utility bills.
Je paie mes factures avec une carte de crédit.
I pay my bills with a credit card.
This final sentence uses payer in another context. Payer quelque chose à quelqu’un means “to buy something for somebody”.
Sylvie paie un café à son ami.
Sylvie buys a coffee for her friend.
Present tense conjugation
Payer is a regular ER verb. This means that its endings are the same as parler (to speak) when conjugated in the present tense.
It’s a stem changing verb in that the -y becomes an -i in the je, tu, il/elle and ils/elles forms. This stem change does not need to occur as the verb can be conjugated in two patterns (see below).
Je paie, paye I pay
Tu paies, payes You pay (singular, informal)
Il, elle paie, paye He, she pays
Nous payons We pay
Vous payez You pay (formal, plural)
Ils, elles paient, payent They pay
Word origin
Payer comes from pacare in Latin.
Related lessons
- Payer (complete conjugation chart)
- Acheter – to buy (conjugation chart)
- Restaurant phrases (ordering meals)
- Le billet – ticket (Word of the Day)
References
