pay
gb/pˈeɪ/ us/pˈeɪ/
A1
English
~ 1900
fizet, kifizet, fizetés, bér, megfizeti az árát, megfizet, odafigyel, lerója a tiszteletét, tiszteletet mutat
VERB
A1
1
Usage pattern:
to pay [someone/something] [money/amount]
I need to pay the electricity bill today.
Ma ki kell fizetnem a villanyszámlát.
She paid the taxi driver and got out of the car.
Fizetett a taxisofőrnek, és kiszállt az autóból.
We always pay cash at that market.
He paid $50 for the concert ticket.
They paid the waiter before leaving.
Learner examples
I pay for my lunch every day.
Mindennap fizetek az ebédemért.
She pays the bus driver two dollars.
Két dollárt fizetett a buszsofőrnek.
We pay rent every month.
He pays for his coffee with a card.
They pay the shop for the bread.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'pay' with 'buy'. 'Pay' refers to giving money, while 'buy' refers to getting something by giving money.
Meaning
Give money for goods or services
Collocations
pay cash
|pay a bill
|pay the rent
|pay a fine
|pay the price
Synonyms
remunerate (More formal; often used in business or legal contexts.)
Antonyms
receive (Opposite direction of transaction—getting money instead of giving it.)
Themes
business
|daily life
|finance
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To give money to someone for something you buy or use, or for work they have done.
To give money to someone in exchange for goods, services, or to settle a debt.
NOUN
A2
2
Teachers are asking for higher pay.
A tanárok magasabb fizetést kérnek.
Her pay is deposited into her bank account every month.
A fizetését minden hónapban a bankszámlájára utalják.
The job offers good pay and benefits.
Equal pay for equal work is important.
His pay increased after he was promoted.
Learner examples
My pay comes on Friday.
Pénteken kapom meg a fizetésemet.
He gets good pay at his job.
Jó fizetést kap a munkahelyén.
The pay is low but the work is easy.
She wants more pay for extra work.
We get our pay every two weeks.
Meaning
Money earned from work
Collocations
high pay
|low pay
|equal pay
|pay rate
|pay scale
Synonyms
salary (Usually refers to a fixed regular payment, often monthly or annually.)
Antonyms
unpaid (Describes work or a position that does not provide money.)
Themes
business
|work
|finance
|core_vocabulary
Definition
The money you get when you work.
The money that someone receives for doing a job.
VERB
B1
3
megfizet
B2
Usage pattern:
to pay (the price) for [something]
He paid the price for ignoring the warning signs.
Megfizette az árát annak, hogy figyelmen kívül hagyta a figyelmeztető jeleket.
You'll pay dearly if you cheat on the test.
Ha csalsz a dolgozaton, drágán megfizetsz érte.
She paid for her mistake with a week of hard work.
They paid heavily for their poor planning.
Learner examples
I paid the price for being late.
Megfizettem az árát annak, hogy elkéstem.
He paid for his mistake at work.
Megfizetett a munkahelyi hibájáért.
She paid dearly for her bad choice.
They paid for not studying before the exam.
Common mistake:
Learners may take this literally and misunderstand the figurative meaning.
Meaning
Suffer consequences for actions
Collocations
pay dearly
|pay the price
|pay for mistakes
Synonyms
atone (Focuses on making amends, often in a moral or religious sense.)
Antonyms
benefit (To receive good results instead of bad ones.)
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To have something bad happen because of what you did.
To experience an unpleasant result as a consequence of one's actions or decisions.
VERB
A2
4
Usage pattern:
to pay [attention/respect/homage] to [something/someone]
Please pay attention to the road while driving.
Kérlek, vezetés közben figyelj oda az útra.
We paid our respects at the funeral.
A temetésen leróttuk a tiszteletünket.
She paid little attention to his warnings.
They paid tribute to the retiring teacher.
Learner examples
Pay attention in class, please.
Kérlek, figyelj oda az órán.
We paid respect to our teacher.
Tiszteletet mutattunk a tanárunk iránt.
He pays attention when I speak.
She pays no attention to the rules.
Meaning
Give attention or respect
Collocations
pay attention
|pay respect
|pay tribute
Synonyms
give (A more general term; 'give attention' overlaps directly.)
Antonyms
ignore (To deliberately not give attention or respect.)
Themes
communication
|emotions
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To look at, listen to, or think about something carefully; to show respect.
To give attention, respect, or consideration to something or someone.
Grammar
Dictionary form
pay
IPA
GB/pˈeɪ/
US/pˈeɪ/
Syllables & stress
pay (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (pay)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: pay
- Plural: pay
Verb
- Base: pay
- 3rd Person Singular: pays
- Present Participle: paying
- Past: paid, payed
- Past Participle: paid
Word family
Forms
pays
verb
paying
verb
paid
verb
payed
verb
Negative and opposite forms
Advanced or less common
payee
noun
prepay
verb
Highlights
- Irregular past participle: paid Verb
Expressions
pay back
1/pˈeɪ bˈæk/
phrasal verb
Return money or retaliate against someone
To give back money you borrowed; or to do something bad to someone because they did something bad to you.
Examples
- I'll pay you back next week.
- He wanted to pay her back for the insult.
pay off
1/pˈeɪ ˈɔf/
phrasal verb
Repay debt or get benefit from effort
To finish paying all the money you owe; or to get a good result from hard work.
Examples
- We finally paid off our mortgage last month.
- All her studying paid off when she passed the exam.
pay attention
1/pˈeɪ ətˈɛnʃən/
fixed phrase
Focus your mind on something
To listen to, watch, or think about something carefully.
Examples
- Please pay attention to the instructions so you don’t make mistakes.
- Pay attention to the instructions so you don't make mistakes.
- He paid close attention during the lecture.
- Children should pay attention in class.
pay the price
1/pˈeɪ ðə pɹˈaɪs/
idiom
Suffer because of earlier actions
To have something bad happen because of what you did before.
Examples
- If you ignore your health, you will pay the price later.
- If you don't study, you'll pay the price later.
- He paid the price for his careless driving with a heavy fine.
- He paid the price for years of unhealthy eating.
pay tribute to
1/pˈeɪ tɹˈɪbjut tə/
fixed phrase
formal
Show public respect or admiration
To say or do something that shows you respect and admire someone or something.
Examples
- They paid tribute to the firefighters who died in service.
- The mayor paid tribute to her long years of service.
pay tribute to
2/pˈeɪ tɹˈɪbjut tə/
fixed phrase
to express respect or admiration
To say, write, or do something to show that you respect or admire a person or thing.
Examples
- Thousands gathered to pay tribute to the victims of the disaster.
- In his speech, he paid tribute to his parents for their support.
- Fans paid tribute to the singer by holding candles and singing her songs.