necesito pagarte
/neθesito paɡaɾte/from spelling rules
The English phrase "I need to pay you" is translated into Spanish as necesito pagarte.
A statement used when someone owes money to another person and must give it to them.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of necesito (I need) and pagarte, which is the infinitive pagar (to pay) plus the enclitic pronoun te (you/to you).
Which one should you use?
The phrase tengo que pagarte is a very common alternative that expresses a similar sense of obligation, meaning "I have to pay you".
How do you pronounce it?
/neθesito paɡaɾte/
Did you know?
- The verb pagar is used in the expression pagar el pato, which literally means 'to pay the duck' but actually means to take the blame for something you did not do.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, saying necesito pagarte for a small favor can seem overly formal. Friends often use the word invitar, meaning 'to invite', to describe paying for someone else's meal or drink to avoid the transactional feel of 'paying'.
- While pagar is the standard word for payment, Spanish uses the verb cobrar to describe the act of receiving the payment. A person does not 'get paid' by using pagar, but by cobrando the money.
Examples in context
- Disculpe, necesito pagarle lo antes posible.Excuse me, I need to pay you as soon as possible.
- ¡Oye, tengo que pagarte los 20 euros que te debo!Hey, I have to pay you the 20 euros that I owe you!
- Necesito pagarte lo que te debo.I need to pay you what I owe you.
- Mañana necesito pagarte el préstamo.Tomorrow I need to pay you the loan.
- Necesito pagarte ahora mismo.I need to pay you right now.
Example conversation
María and Daniel are talking about a small debt at a cafe.
- MaríaDaniel, necesito pagarte el dinero del café.Daniel, I need to pay you the money for the coffee.
- DanielNo te preocupes, María, puedes hacerlo después.Don't worry, María, you can do it later.
- MaríaNo, prefiero hacerlo ahora para no olvidarlo.No, I prefer to do it now so I don't forget.
- DanielEstá bien, muchas gracias.Alright, thank you very much.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
