pay

/peɪ/ (bre, ipa) · /peɪ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈpā/ (ame, mw)

pay — 動詞

  • paypresent simple I / you / we / they
  • payshe / she / it
  • paidpast simple
  • paying-ing form

1. to give someone money because you are buying something, using a service, or sett

1.動詞及物 / 不及物A1
釋義

付款；支付

付錢購物、付費或還款

to give someone money because you are buying something, using a service, or settling what you owe.

例句

Lena paid cash for the vegetables at the night market.

Lena 在夜市買蔬菜時付了現金。

pay + for + thing bought

We paid the plumber before lunch and kept the receipt.

我們在午餐前支付了水電工費用，並留下收據。

同義詞
  • spend

    focuses on using money, not on the person who receives it

  • buy

    focuses on getting the thing, not on the act of giving money

  • settle

    more formal; often used for bills, debts, or accounts

反義詞
  • owe

    to still need to give the money instead of giving it

  • receive

    describes the other side of the payment

文法句型

pay + person + amount

pay + amount + for + thing

pay + bill/rent/tax

pay + person + to + verb

用法筆記

With the thing you buy, English usually uses 'pay for'. With the person receiving money, English normally uses 'pay someone'. Distinguish from sense 3, where the money is specifically for a person's work.

常見錯誤

❌I paid the ticket online.
✅I paid for the ticket online.
💡use 'pay for' before the thing you buy.
❌We spent the waiter and left.
✅We paid the waiter and left.
💡'spend' is about using money, not giving it to a person.

2. A machine, service, or other purchase has paid for itself once its savings or in

2.動詞不及物B2
釋義

回本

省下或賺回原本成本

A machine, service, or other purchase has paid for itself once its savings or income match the original cost.

例句

The solar lights paid for themselves within two dry summers.

那些太陽能燈在兩個乾季內就回本了。

fixed pattern: pay for themselves

After one busy year, the new oven paid for itself.

忙了一整年後，那台新烤箱就回本了。

同義詞
  • recoup

    more formal; focuses on getting money back

  • recover

    can be used for getting a cost back, but is less fixed

  • break even

    focuses on not losing money overall, not only on one item

反義詞

文法句型

pay for itself

pay for themselves

用法筆記

Almost always used with 'for itself' or 'for themselves'. The subject is usually a machine, system, change, or purchase that saves money over time.

常見錯誤

❌The new car paid itself in two years.
✅The new car paid for itself in two years.
💡this sense needs 'for' in the fixed pattern.

3. to give a worker money for the job they have done, often as wages or salary.

3.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

發薪；付薪

付錢給人作為工作報酬

to give a worker money for the job they have done, often as wages or salary.

例句

The restaurant pays new cooks every Friday afternoon.

這家餐廳每週五下午都會發薪給新廚師。

pay + worker + time of payment

Our school paid the band two hundred dollars for the show.

我們學校付了樂團兩百美元作為演出酬勞。

pay + worker + amount + for + work

同義詞
  • compensate

    more formal; common in business or legal contexts

  • reward

    suggests payment or benefit for effort or success, not regular wages

  • remunerate

    formal and less common in everyday speech

反義詞
  • underpay

    to give too little money for the work

  • owe

    to still need to pay the worker

文法句型

pay + worker + amount

pay + worker + for + work

pay + person + to + verb

be paid + amount

用法筆記

The subject is usually an employer, company, school, or customer. Distinguish from sense 1, which is about paying for goods, services, or bills rather than for someone's work.

常見錯誤

❌The shop paid for the clerk every week.
✅The shop paid the clerk every week.
💡with the worker, English normally uses 'pay someone', not 'pay for someone'.
❌They paid me for clean the windows.
✅They paid me to clean the windows.
💡use 'to' before the verb.

4. If an action or plan pays, it brings profit or some other useful result.

4.動詞不及物B2
釋義

划算；有利

能帶來好處或收益

If an action or plan pays, it brings profit or some other useful result.

例句

The small cafe paid once tourists returned in spring.

遊客在春天回來後，那家小咖啡館終於開始有利可圖。

intransitive: business produces profit

On dark mountain roads, it pays to check the map first.

在昏暗的山路上，先看一下地圖會比較保險。

it pays to + verb

同義詞
  • profit

    focuses more narrowly on making money

  • benefit

    broader; can describe advantage without money

  • succeed

    focuses on the good result rather than on value or gain

反義詞
  • fail

    to bring no success or advantage

  • backfire

    to produce the opposite of the hoped-for result

文法句型

it pays to + verb

hard work pays

investment pays

用法筆記

Common subjects are businesses, plans, effort, and risks. The pattern 'it pays to + verb' means doing that action is wise because it helps or saves trouble.

常見錯誤

❌The extra lessons paid us.
✅The extra lessons paid.
💡this sense does not usually take a direct object.
❌It pays checking prices first.
✅It pays to check prices first.
💡use the to-infinitive after 'it pays'.

5. used with certain nouns to mean giving or showing the action they name, especial

5.動詞及物C2
釋義

致以；表達

以正式方式給予稱讚敬意等

used with certain nouns to mean giving or showing the action they name, especially in formal speech or writing.

例句

During dinner, Maya paid her teacher a warm compliment.

晚餐時，Maya 向老師致以溫暖的稱讚。

pay + person + compliment

The mayor paid tribute to the nurses after the fire.

市長在火災後向護理師們致以敬意。

pay tribute to + person

同義詞
  • give

    the broad everyday verb; less formal and less fixed

  • offer

    slightly more formal; common with thanks or praise

  • express

    focuses on showing a feeling or opinion in words or actions

反義詞
  • withhold

    to choose not to give praise or respect

文法句型

pay + tribute + to + person

pay + compliment + to + person

pay + praise + to + person

用法筆記

This sense appears mostly in fixed combinations such as 'pay tribute', 'pay a compliment', and 'pay praise'. Distinguish from sense 6, where the object is usually 'attention'.

常見錯誤

❌The paper paid tribute for the doctor.
✅The paper paid tribute to the doctor.
💡these nouns usually take 'to' before the person.
❌Maya paid a compliment for her teacher.
✅Maya paid her teacher a compliment.
💡with 'compliment', the person often comes before the noun.

6. to direct your eyes, ears, or mind carefully to someone or something.

6.動詞及物B1
釋義

注意

仔細留意人或事物

to direct your eyes, ears, or mind carefully to someone or something.

例句

Please pay attention when the nurse explains the medicine.

護理師說明藥物時，請注意聽。

pay attention when + clause

The dog paid close attention to every sound outside.

那隻狗很注意外面的每一個聲音。

pay close attention to + noun

同義詞
  • notice

    can mean simply seeing or becoming aware, without careful focus

  • heed

    more formal; stresses taking warning or advice seriously

  • focus on

    stresses directing concentration, especially for longer tasks

反義詞

文法句型

pay attention to + person/thing

pay close attention to + detail

pay no attention to + person/thing

用法筆記

Usually appears with the noun 'attention', especially in the pattern 'pay attention to'. Distinguish from sense 5, where 'pay' combines with formal nouns such as 'tribute' or 'compliment'.

常見錯誤

❌Please pay attention on the teacher.
✅Please pay attention to the teacher.
💡this pattern takes 'to'.
❌I paid attention the sign.
✅I paid attention to the sign.
💡do not drop 'to' before the thing noticed.

7. to go and see someone or somewhere briefly.

7.動詞及物B2
釋義

拜訪

短時間去看某人或某地

to go and see someone or somewhere briefly.

例句

We paid a quick visit to Grandma after the market.

我們逛完市場後，順道去看阿嬤。

pay a visit to + person

The class paid a visit to the city museum on Friday.

這個班星期五去拜訪了市立博物館。

pay a visit to + place

同義詞
  • visit

    the plain everyday verb

  • call on

    often used for visiting a person, especially briefly

  • drop by

    more informal and often more casual than 'pay a visit'

反義詞
  • avoid

    to stay away instead of going to see someone or somewhere

文法句型

pay a visit to + place

pay + person/place + a visit

用法筆記

Most often used in the noun pattern 'pay a visit to'. It is more formal than the simple verb 'visit', and it usually suggests a brief call rather than a long stay.

常見錯誤

❌We paid a visit Grandma yesterday.
✅We paid a visit to Grandma yesterday.
💡use 'to' before the person or place.
❌They paid visit to the museum.
✅They paid a visit to the museum.
💡the noun needs an article.

pay — 名詞

pay — 形容詞