pagar deudas
/paɡaɾ deudas/from spelling rules
To pay off debt in Spanish is pagar deudas.
The phrase pagar deudas means to finish paying the full amount of money that is owed to someone. While pagar deudas refers to the act of paying, you may also use salir de deudas to describe the broader process of becoming debt-free.
Which one should you use?
pagar deudas is the general phrase for paying debts. If you are referring to one specific, singular debt, you should use the singular noun la deuda instead of the plural deudas, as in pagar la deuda.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the verb liquidar, you can say liquidar la deuda to mean settling or liquidating a specific debt. As mentioned previously, ensure you switch to the singular la deuda when the context is a specific debt rather than debts in general.
How do you pronounce it?
/paɡaɾ deudas/
Did you know?
- The verb pagar shares an unlikely ancestor with the word 'peace'. It stems from the Latin pācāre, which means 'to pacify' or 'to make peace'.
- While pagar is the standard, using cancelar to mean 'paying off' or 'settling' a debt is extremely common in many Spanish-speaking countries, though in English 'cancel' often implies something is voided.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, failing to pagar deudas can lead to a loss of 'honor' or 'palabra', where a person's word is viewed as a legally binding contract.
Examples in context
- El cliente está interesado en pagar una deuda pendiente lo antes posible.The client is interested in paying off the outstanding debt as soon as possible.
- ¡Por fin terminé de pagar mi deuda estudiantil! ¡Me siento liberado!I finally paid off my student debt! I feel liberated!
- Necesito pagar mis deudas antes de fin de año.I need to pay off my debts before the end of the year.
- Es difícil pagar deudas tan altas.It is difficult to pay off such high debts.
Example conversation
María and Javier are discussing their financial goals for the year.
- MaríaJavier, ¿tienes algún plan financiero para este año?Javier, do you have a financial plan for this year?
- JavierSí, mi prioridad es pagar deudas pendientes.Yes, my priority is to pay off pending debts.
- MaríaEso es una excelente idea, María está haciendo lo mismo.That is an excellent idea, María is doing the same.
- JavierMe sentiré mucho más tranquilo después de lograrlo.I will feel much more relaxed after achieving it.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pagar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
