Pay past tense: paid, paid
give money for
Pay is an irregular English verb: the past simple of pay is paid and the past participle is paid. Learn the three forms together — pay – paid – paid.
Verb forms
Base form
/peɪ/
Past Simple
/peɪd/
Past Participle
/peɪd/
Press the speaker button to hear each form. The transcription under each word shows the British pronunciation (IPA).
Example sentences
Base form · pay
I pay my bills online at the start of each month.
Past Simple · paid
She paid for everyone's lunch yesterday.
Past Participle · paid
The invoice has already been paid.
Key tenses
| Present Simple | Past Simple | Present Perfect |
|---|---|---|
I pay he / she / it pays | I paid | I have paid |
| Present Continuous:I am paying · he / she / it is paying | ||
Common collocations
pay attention
to listen or watch carefully
pay a visit
to visit someone
pay the bill
to settle what is owed
Grammar guide
Pay belongs to the ABB group: the past simple and the past participle are the same (paid). This is the largest group of irregular verbs — you only need to learn one past form.
- Past simple – paid: a finished action at a definite time in the past. It is used on its own, without an auxiliary.
- Past participle – paid: after have, has or had (present perfect, past perfect) and after be in the passive voice.
- Questions and negatives in the past simple use did + the base form: Did you pay…? I didn’t pay.
Quick quiz
Which sentence is correct?
Questions about pay
- What is the past simple of pay?
- The past simple of pay is paid.
- What is the past participle of pay?
- The past participle of pay is paid.
- What are the three forms of pay?
- The three forms are pay – paid – paid: base form, past simple and past participle.
- Is pay a regular or an irregular verb?
- Pay is irregular: its past simple is paid, not payed.