pay BILL · Spanish (pagar) — Event-Structure Dictionary

Arguments

Payer, the thing settled, Amount, creditor · Spanish cloth · working claim, revisable

Payer · subject of pagar, abonar, saldar, liquidar · yo · DPD pagué · he pagado · a full noun has no case ending

Direct object · Theme (the bill, the due) · DPD’s payment sense is transitive, ‘satisfacer lo que se debe’ or ‘sufragar un gasto’ · printed fillings: tus impuestos y tus deudas de honor · los desperfectos · la deuda · mi comida · DLE abonar 6 prints the document itself: Abonar la cuenta, la mensualidad · DLE factura defines that document as a cuenta delivered to demand payment · pagar la cuenta and pagar la factura reuse this object · those two strings are constructed

Direct object · money · the same object slot, a different filling · DPD pagué dos bolivianos · treinta centavos · DLE abonar 5 Aboné 1000 euros de impuestos · pagó 50 euros reuses the sum · 50 euros is not a citation

Creditor · indirect object, dative, beside that direct object · clitic le / les · a full noun is a + noun, and the clitic doubles it · DPD Le pagaría a Cárceles los desperfectos · les pagan treinta centavos · English Wiktionary’s bracket for this person is le · le pagué la factura al fontanero reuses that doubling and the bill object · the stack is constructed

Person as direct object · differential object marking a · when the thing-object is left unsaid, DPD allows reading the person as the direct object · the clitic in the citation is accusative lo, not le: al tractorista lo pago yo · DPD calls this reading less widespread and less recommended, and points to leísmo, 4d · English Wiktionary allows lo for ‘something or someone’ · pagar al fontanero is this marking · constructed · a on the dative creditor and a on this animate direct object are the same preposition and not the same slot

por · Consideration, on the payment line that prints it · Wikcionario el dinero que paga por cada diente · the money is what is paid, por is the tooth · DPD Por cada kilo de cereza beside treinta centavos is a rate, not that tooth · DPD’s other por, que pague por ello, is the punishment sense · pagar 50 euros por la reparación stacks the sum-object with a Consideration por · constructed

en / con · the means · DPD Le pagarían en dólares · pagando con dólares mi comida · the meal stays the direct object on the con line

abonar · formal payment and banking companion of everyday pagar · “formal” is a working register note · the article prints the employments, not that label · DLE 5, a sum paid for something: Aboné 1000 euros de impuestos · DLE 6, the document: Abonar la cuenta, la mensualidad · DLE 7, banking: asentar en una cuenta corriente una partida que corresponde al haber · abonar una cantidad en cuenta is that haber line · the string is constructed · the ledger geometry of the same verb stays on credit_FIN · abonar

saldar · DLE 1: Pagar enteramente una cuenta o una deuda · the Theme is the account or the debt · a creditor in that object is unprinted

liquidar · DLE 3: Saldar, pagar enteramente una cuenta · the object in that sense is the account · DLE 12, law, is a different employment: determinar en dinero el importe de una deuda · liquidar una factura reuses the account object · constructed · senses that are not this payment stay off the frame

Where pagar diverges from English pay the bill. The English page keeps one accusative, the document, and brings the sum back as with or in. A person beside a sum is the sister page pay_GIVE. Spanish pagar prints the due and the sum as fillings of one direct object, and prints the person who receives the payment as a dative beside that object. The dative clitic is le, and a full noun is doubled: Le pagaría a Cárceles los desperfectos. English pay the bill does not make that split, and it does not double a prepositional person with a clitic. When the thing-object is omitted, DPD’s less recommended reading makes the person the direct object, al tractorista lo pago yo. The a on that person is differential object marking, and the clitic is lo. English pay someone has no second preposition that appears on both the indirect person and the animate direct object.

por is not the English for of pay the bill. English pay the bill makes the bill the object. English pay for the repair puts the repair under for. Spanish prints the bill as the direct object (la deuda, and abonar la cuenta), and prints por on a different phrase: Wikcionario paga por cada diente, with the money as what is paid. en dólares and con dólares are the means, the English in / with slot. DPD’s pague por ello is the punishment por, not the repair.

saldar takes the debt, not the creditor. DLE’s object is una cuenta or una deuda, and the gloss is pagar enteramente. The working claim is that the Theme is that debt or that account, the balance the article calls paying entirely. A person in the object, saldar al fontanero, is unprinted. liquidar sense 3 has the same account object. pagar is the verb that can put the creditor in the dative, or, on DPD’s less recommended line, in the direct object.

Places · who wears which marking

The subject is the person who settles the bill, when the clause has that subject. The direct object is the due or the sum. Beside that object, a plus le is the creditor, and the clitic doubles the full noun. With no thing-object, DPD’s other reading makes the person the direct object, and the clitic is lo. por on the tooth line is what the money is paid for. en and con are the means. saldar and payment liquidar print the account or the debt.

pagar · direct object · due or sum

✓ Paga tus impuestos y tus deudas de honor. DPD · transitive · direct object the dues

✓ Para dejar mi equipaje pagué dos bolivianos. DPD · direct object the sum

✓ Con creces he pagado la deuda que tenía con vuestro padre. DPD · direct object la deuda · con vuestro padre is inside the debt phrase

✓ Acabé pagando con dólares mi comida. DPD · direct object mi comida · con the means

✓ Abonar la cuenta, la mensualidad. DLE abonar 6 · the document · synonym of the payment senses is pagar

pay your taxes and your debts of honor · I paid two bolivianos to leave my luggage · I have more than paid the debt I had with your father · I ended up paying for my meal with dollars · pay the bill, the monthly charge

Dative le · doubling · and accusative lo

✓ Le pagaría a Cárceles los desperfectos. DPD · dative le doubles a Cárceles · direct object los desperfectos

✓ Por cada kilo de cereza les pagan treinta centavos. DPD · dative les · direct object the sum · por cada kilo is the rate

✓ No le pagamos para que sea original. DPD · dative le · the thing-object is omitted · para que is not por

✓ El Safari es mío y al tractorista lo pago yo. DPD · a + person · accusative lo · DPD calls the direct-object reading less recommended

✓ Le pagarían en dólares. DPD · dative le · en the means · no thing-object in the line

I would pay Cárceles for the damage · they pay them thirty centavos per kilo of cherry · we do not pay him to be original · the Safari is mine and I pay the tractor driver · they would pay him in dollars

por · abonar · saldar · liquidar

✓ el dinero que paga por cada diente. Wikcionario · Rosa Cerna Guardia, as the entry prints it · por + what the money is for

✓ Pues si pecó, que pague por ello. DPD · sense 2 · punishment · this por is not the tooth

✓ Aboné 1000 euros de impuestos. DLE abonar 5 · direct object the sum · de impuestos

✓ Pagar enteramente una cuenta o una deuda. DLE saldar 1 · definition · the object is the account or the debt

✓ Saldar, pagar enteramente una cuenta. DLE liquidar 3 · definition · the object is the account

the money he pays for each tooth · if he sinned, let him pay for it · I paid 1000 euros of taxes · pay an account or a debt in full · settle, pay an account in full

Places of Spanish bill-paying verbs: marking, what the sources print, and the English marking
Place	Introduced by (working)	Spanish marking	Status in the sources	English
Payer	subject	no case ending · yo · pagué	DPD pagué dos bolivianos · lo pago yo · he pagado la deuda	subject of pay
Bill / due	the obligation	direct object	tus impuestos · tus deudas · los desperfectos · la deuda · mi comida · la cuenta and la mensualidad on abonar · la factura is constructed	object of pay the bill
Amount	the sum	direct object, the other filling of that slot	dos bolivianos · treinta centavos · 1000 euros · 50 euros is not a citation	object of pay 50 euros · or with / in on the English bill page
Creditor · dative	the person who receives the payment	le / les · a + noun · the clitic doubles the noun	Le … a Cárceles · les pagan · No le pagamos · Le pagarían · English Wiktionary le ‘someone’	pay him the damage · English pay the bill does not double a prepositional person
Person · direct object	the person paid, with no thing-object	differential a · accusative clitic lo	DPD al tractorista lo pago yo · labeled less recommended · English Wiktionary lo ‘something or someone’ · al fontanero is constructed	pay the plumber · English has no a on that person
por	what the money is for, or a rate, or the punishment	por + noun	Wikcionario por cada diente · DPD Por cada kilo the rate · DPD por ello the punishment · por la reparación is constructed	pay for the repair · pay the bill does not put the bill under for
en / con	the means	en or con + the money	en dólares · con dólares	in dollars · with dollars
saldar / liquidar	the debt or the account	direct object · the creditor is unprinted	DLE una cuenta o una deuda · liquidar 3 una cuenta · liquidar 12 determines the amount of a debt and is a different employment	settle the bill · pay off the debt · English pay someone can take the person · these articles do not

Marking map. Read the clitic, then the preposition. A direct object of pagar may be the due or the sum. le beside that object is the creditor, and it doubles a + noun. lo with a + person is the direct-object person, the reading DPD ranks lower. por is not that a. saldar prints the account or the debt.

Direct-object bill or due. tus impuestos, tus deudas de honor, los desperfectos, la deuda, mi comida, la cuenta, la mensualidad. la factura is the constructed document.
Direct-object sum. dos bolivianos, treinta centavos, 1000 euros. 50 euros is constructed.
Dative creditor. le, les, a Cárceles. al fontanero beside le and a bill is constructed.
Direct-object person. al tractorista, clitic lo. pagar al fontanero is constructed.
por. por cada diente, por cada kilo, por ello. por la reparación is constructed.
Means. en dólares, con dólares.
Debt verbs. una cuenta, una deuda on saldar. una cuenta on liquidar 3.

EN ⇄ ES valency strip

Each row lines up one English slot with a Spanish slot. The alignment type says what happens to the slot: = (same object status), or shift (the English document-object against a Spanish direct object that also holds the sum; English to against dative le and doubling; the animate person against differential a). Printed lines come first. A constructed line reuses a printed marking. It is labelled constructed.

English–Spanish valency alignment for paying a bill, one row per argument
Slot	EN form	ES form	Align	EN example	ES example
Payer	subject of pay	subject	=	Pat paid the invoice. English page	pagué · lo pago yo DPD
Bill	object of pay the bill	direct object	= of the object · the Spanish object is also the sum	the invoice English page	la deuda · la cuenta DPD · DLE abonar
Amount as object	pay 50 euros	direct-object sum	= when the sum is the object	pay fifty euros the English gloss · 50 is not a printed Spanish sum	dos bolivianos · 1000 euros DPD · DLE
Amount as means	with / in	con / en	= · the object is then the meal, or absent	with dollars · in dollars gloss of the DPD lines	con dólares · en dólares DPD
Creditor · le	indirect object	le · a · doubling	shift · the clitic doubles the full noun · the sister page pagar files this cloth for the sum	pay him the damage gloss	Le … a Cárceles los desperfectos DPD
Person · lo	object of pay someone	a + person · lo	shift · differential a · DPD ranks the reading lower than the dative	pay the tractor driver gloss	al tractorista lo pago yo DPD
por	for + thing	por	the preposition matches pay for · it does not match pay the bill, where the bill is the object	pay for each tooth gloss	paga por cada diente Wikcionario
saldar	settle the debt	direct object the debt or the account	the creditor is unprinted	settle the debt gloss	una cuenta o una deuda DLE

The strip below is a set of small multiples. Each card holds one frame, with English on top and Spanish under it. The subject chip is the party the clause actually makes the subject.

ES · direct object · bill or sum

la deuda · la cuenta · dos bolivianos

pay the debt · pay the bill · pay two bolivianos

he pagado la deuda. Abonar la cuenta. pagué dos bolivianos. Aboné 1000 euros de impuestos.

DPD · DLE abonar · the due and the sum are two fillings of one object · pagar la factura is not one of these lines

RolesHide roles PayerThemeAmount

Payer subject of pagar · he pagado · pagué Theme direct object · la deuda · la cuenta · los desperfectos Amount the other direct object · dos bolivianos · 1000 euros

Move English pay the bill matches the debt and the cuenta. The boliviano line is the sum in the same object. The two fillings are separate examples. A clause that makes both the bill and the sum direct objects is unprinted.

ES · dative le · doubling

le … a Cárceles · los desperfectos

pay him the damage · pay them thirty centavos

Le pagaría a Cárceles los desperfectos. les pagan treinta centavos.

DPD · dative clitic doubles a + person · the direct object is the damage or the sum · le … la factura al fontanero is constructed

RolesHide roles CreditorThemeAmount

Creditor dative · le · les · a Cárceles Theme los desperfectos Amount treinta centavos on the cherry line

Move The creditor is dative. The thing or the sum stays the direct object. le and a Cárceles are one marking, doubled. This is not the accusative lo of al tractorista. The sister page pay_GIVE · pagar files the same dative with a sum.

ES · lo · differential a · por

al tractorista lo · por cada diente

I pay the tractor driver · the money he pays for each tooth

al tractorista lo pago yo. el dinero que paga por cada diente.

DPD · Wikcionario · lo is accusative · DPD ranks this person-object below the dative · por on the tooth is Consideration · pagar al fontanero and por la reparación are constructed

RolesHide roles PayerPersonConsideration

Payer yo on the tractor line Person direct object · a · lo · el tractorista Consideration por cada diente · the money is el dinero

Move a on the tractor driver is the marking of an animate direct object, and the clitic is lo. a on Cárceles is the dative, and the clitic is le. por cada diente is the English for of pay for. It is not the object of pay the bill. DPD’s por ello is the punishment sense and stays off this card.

ES · saldar · liquidar · abonar

una deuda · una cuenta · 1000 euros

pay a debt in full · pay an account in full · pay 1000 euros of taxes

Pagar enteramente una cuenta o una deuda. Saldar, pagar enteramente una cuenta. Aboné 1000 euros de impuestos. Abonar la cuenta.

DLE · the object of saldar is the account or the debt · no creditor · abonar una cantidad en cuenta is the constructed banking string of sense 7

RolesHide roles DebtAmount

Debt una cuenta · una deuda · la mensualidad Amount 1000 euros on abonar 5 · the haber entry is sense 7

Move saldar takes the debt or the account. The gloss is paying it entirely, so the Theme is what is brought to nothing still owed. The creditor is not that object. liquidar sense 3 takes the account. abonar takes the sum or the bill, and sense 7 enters a sum on the credit side of a current account. The ledger page is acreditar / abonar.

Examples

Argument difference. English pay the bill uses one object for the bill. Spanish pagar algo a alguien keeps that thing as the direct object and puts the creditor in the dative, clitic le, doubled with a (Le pagaría a Cárceles los desperfectos). pagar a alguien with accusative lo makes the person the direct object (al tractorista lo pago yo), and DPD ranks that reading lower. The direct object itself is either the due or the sum, not both in one citation. saldar takes una deuda or una cuenta and prints no creditor.

Printed dictionary lines come first. A constructed line reuses a printed marking. It is labelled constructed.

Real · bill, dative, lo, debt

✓ he pagado la deuda. DPD · direct-object debt

✓ Le pagaría a Cárceles los desperfectos. DPD · dative doubling

✓ al tractorista lo pago yo. DPD · differential a · lo

✓ Abonar la cuenta. DLE · document

✓ paga por cada diente. Wikcionario · por

✓ una cuenta o una deuda. DLE saldar · the debt, not a person

Constructed · the working frames

✓ Pat paga la factura. constructed · direct-object bill, as in DPD la deuda and DLE Abonar la cuenta · DLE factura is that cuenta · Pat is not a dictionary name

✓ Pat pagó 50 euros. constructed · amount as object, as in dos bolivianos and 1000 euros · 50 euros is not a citation

✓ Pat le pagó la factura al fontanero. constructed · dative le doubling a, from Le … a Cárceles · bill from la cuenta / la deuda · the stack is not a citation

✓ Pat paga al fontanero. constructed · differential a, as in al tractorista lo pago yo · the clitic that fixes the accusative in the source is lo · this line has no clitic

✓ Pat pagó 50 euros por la reparación. constructed · sum from dos bolivianos / 1000 euros · por from por cada diente · the stack is not a citation

✓ Pat abonó una cantidad en cuenta. constructed · DLE abonar 7, a credit entry on a current account · the wording una cantidad en cuenta is not the article’s sentence

* Pat salda al fontanero. constructed · a person as the object of saldar · unprinted · DLE’s object is una cuenta or una deuda

Pat pays the bill · Pat paid 50 euros · Pat paid the plumber the bill · Pat pays the plumber · Pat paid 50 euros for the repair · Pat credited an amount to an account · Pat settles the plumber

Derivations · working sketches, revisable

Each sketch is a working drawing. The drawing gives the bill or the sum to the direct object of pagar, the creditor beside that object to le and a, the animate person with no thing-object to differential a and lo, and the object of saldar to the debt. Open one sketch at a time. Which theta role is the object is the revisable note Causative templates and argument selection. This page does not edit that note.

Direct object of pagar · two fillings

One object slot · due or sum · working, revisable

[ —
  [ √pagar
     [DO impuestos / deudas / desperfectos / deuda / comida ]]]
                                           ← DPD
                                           ← abonar: la cuenta
                                           ← la factura is constructed

[ —
  [ √pagar
     [DO dos bolivianos / treinta centavos / 1000 euros ]]]
                                           ← DPD · DLE abonar 5
                                           ← 50 euros is constructed

The two objects are not two arguments of one clause. Each line prints one of them. English pay the bill matches the debt and the cuenta. The boliviano line is the sum.

✓ he pagado la deuda. DPD

✓ pagué dos bolivianos. DPD

le · doubling · lo · por

Creditor beside a thing · or the person as the object · working, revisable

[ —
  [ √pagar
     [DAT le / a Cárceles ]
     [DO desperfectos / centavos ]]]     ← DPD
                                           ← le doubles a
                                           ← factura + fontanero
                                             is constructed

[ —
  [ √pagar
     [DO-a tractorista / lo ]]]          ← DPD
                                           ← less recommended
                                           ← a here is DOM
                                           ← not the dative a

[ —
  [ √pagar
     [DO dinero ]
     [por diente ]]]                     ← Wikcionario
                                           ← 50 euros por la
                                             reparación is constructed

le and a Cárceles are one marking. lo and al tractorista are the other. por cada diente is Consideration. DPD’s por ello is the punishment sense and is not this sketch.

✓ Le pagaría a Cárceles los desperfectos. DPD

✓ al tractorista lo pago yo. DPD

abonar · saldar · liquidar

Bill, sum, haber entry, or the debt · working, revisable

[ —
  [ √abonar
     [DO 1000 euros / la cuenta ]]]      ← DLE 5 · DLE 6

[ —
  [ √abonar
     [haber partida en cuenta corriente ]]]
                                           ← DLE 7
                                           ← una cantidad en cuenta
                                             is constructed

[ —
  [ √saldar
     [DO cuenta / deuda ]]]              ← DLE 1
                                           ← pagar enteramente
                                           ← no creditor

[ —
  [ √liquidar
     [DO cuenta ]]]                      ← DLE 3
                                           ← sense 12 determines
                                             the amount of a debt

The object of saldar is the account or the debt. The object of payment liquidar is the account. A person in that object is unprinted. abonar sense 7 is the credit entry, not a second object of pagar.

✓ Abonar la cuenta. DLE

✓ una cuenta o una deuda. DLE saldar

Notes

Working paper · October 2026 · Spanish micro-entry · Index 2 pagar, transferir, girar

pagar takes a direct object that can be the bill or the sum, and a dative creditor, clitic le, doubling a. With no thing-object the person can be the direct object, differential a, clitic lo. saldar takes the debt or the account. por is Consideration on the tooth line.

ES micro-entry live Index 2 pagar, transferir, girar dative le · differential a · por EN bill live GIVE pagar live

Sense × language: pay_BILL · Spanish (pagar, abonar, saldar, liquidar). The creditor beside a thing is dative le, doubled with a. The person as direct object is differential a, clitic lo, and DPD ranks that reading lower. saldar prints the debt, not the creditor. Twins: English · Japanese · Mandarin · German · French. Sister sense: pay_GIVE · pagar. Index 2 pointer: pay.

Places
EN ⇄ ES strip
Related
Examples
Derivations
Open items
Corpus and sources

Open items

The direct object of pagar has two printed fillings. Due: tus impuestos, tus deudas, los desperfectos, la deuda, mi comida, and on abonar la cuenta, la mensualidad. Sum: dos bolivianos, treinta centavos, 1000 euros. They are separate examples. pagar la factura and pagó 50 euros are the constructed lines.
The person is le or lo. Dative, beside a thing: Le pagaría a Cárceles los desperfectos, les pagan treinta centavos. Direct object, when the thing is omitted: al tractorista lo pago yo. DPD calls the second reading less widespread and less recommended. A le beside la factura and al fontanero in one clause is the constructed line. English Wiktionary prints the same split as a bracket: le for someone, lo for something or someone.
One preposition a, two slots. On the Cárceles line a is the dative, doubled by le. On the tractor line a marks an animate direct object, and the clitic is lo. A bare pagar al fontanero, with no clitic, does not show which slot it is. The citation that fixes the accusative is the lo line.
Three por phrases. Wikcionario paga por cada diente is what the money is for. DPD Por cada kilo de cereza is a rate beside the sum. DPD que pague por ello is the punishment sense. pagar 50 euros por la reparación stacks the sum with the tooth’s por and is not a citation. para que on No le pagamos para que sea original is not this por.
en and con are the means. en dólares, con dólares mi comida. They match English in / with. A stack of dative, sum, por, and con in one clause is unprinted.
saldar prints no creditor. The object is una cuenta or una deuda, glossed pagar enteramente. The working claim is that this Theme is the debt, the balance paid entirely. saldar al fontanero is the rejected constructed line. DLE’s other senses of saldar, selling goods cheap and closing a pending matter, stay off this frame.
liquidar sense 3 is the account. The gloss is saldar, pagar enteramente una cuenta. Sense 12, law, determines the money amount of a debt and is not that payment. liquidar una factura is constructed on the account object. Senses that are not payment stay off this frame.
abonar is the payment companion and the haber entry. Sense 5 is the sum, 1000 euros de impuestos. Sense 6 is the document, la cuenta, la mensualidad. Sense 7 enters a credit item on a current account. abonar una cantidad en cuenta is the constructed wording of sense 7. The ledger geometry is the live page acreditar / abonar. transferir and girar are named in Index 2 and are not given a frame on this page.

Corpus filenames and sources checked

Dictionary frames: RAE Diccionario de la lengua española for pagar, abonar, saldar, liquidar, and factura. RAE Diccionario panhispánico de dudas, pagar, for the direct object, the dative, the accusative person, and en / con. Wikcionario for the por line, quoted as that entry prints it. English Wiktionary for the le / lo bracket. The English document-object and the with / in instrument are the live page pay BILL · English. The French bare person-object and dative lui are the live page pay BILL · French. The German an + accusative payee is the live page pay BILL · German. Constructed clauses reuse a printed marking. Pat, 50 euros, la factura, el fontanero, and la reparación are not citations.

DLE · pagar dle.rae.es/pagar · 1 Dar a otra, o satisfacer, lo que le debe · synonyms include abonar and liquidar · 3 the penalty sense · pagar la / pagar las the colloquial threat
DLE · abonar · saldar · liquidar · factura abonar · 5 Aboné 1000 euros de impuestos · 6 Abonar la cuenta, la mensualidad · 7 partida del haber en una cuenta corriente · saldar · 1 Pagar enteramente una cuenta o una deuda · liquidar · 3 Saldar, pagar enteramente una cuenta · 12 Determinar en dinero el importe de una deuda · factura · a cuenta delivered to demand payment
DPD · pagar rae.es/dpd/pagar · Paga tus impuestos y tus deudas de honor · pagué dos bolivianos · Le pagaría a Cárceles los desperfectos · les pagan treinta centavos · No le pagamos · al tractorista lo pago yo · en dólares · con dólares mi comida · he pagado la deuda · que pague por ello
Wikcionario · English Wiktionary es.wiktionary · pagar · el dinero que paga por cada diente · en.wiktionary · pagar · transitive to pay · with le ‘someone’ or with lo ‘something or someone’
siblings pay-bill · document object · with / in · pay-give-es · dative + amount · por · pay-bill-fr · le vs lui · pay-bill-de · an + accusative · pay-bill-ja · pay-bill-zh · sell-es · por price · charge-fee-es · credit-fin-es · ledger abonar

Records pagar with a direct-object bill or sum, and with a dative creditor, clitic le, doubling a. Records the animate direct object, differential a and clitic lo, with DPD’s lower ranking. Records por with the glosses the articles actually print. Records en and con as the means. Records abonar with the sum, the bill, and the haber entry. Records saldar and payment liquidar with the account or the debt, and with no creditor.