zahlen

See also: Zahlen and zählen

German

IPA^(key): /ˈtsaːln̩/, /ˈtsaːlən/ (Germany)
- Audio: (file) (Germany)
IPA^(key): /ˈtsaːlɛn/, /ˈtsaːln̩/ (Austria, Southern Germany, Switzerland)
- Audio: (file) (Austria)
Hyphenation: zah‧len

zahlen (weak, third-person singular present zahlt, past tense zahlte, past participle gezahlt, auxiliary haben)

(transitive or intransitive) to pay [with accusative ‘money, etc.’ and an (+ accusative) ‘to someone/something’]
Ich muss meine Steuern zahlen.
I have to pay my taxes.

Er muss noch die Gebühr an die Verwaltung zahlen.
He still has to pay the fee to the administration.
(transitive, figurative) to pay, to atone [with für (+ accusative) ‘for something, e.g. a mistake’]
Ich will keinen Fehler machen, für den ich später zahlen muss.
I don't want to make a mistake that I'll have to pay for later.
(transitive) to pay out
Die Aktien zahlten eine Dividende von 7%. ― The stocks paid a dividend of 7%.

In most circumstances, zahlen and bezahlen are more or less interchangeable. There is a tendency for zahlen being used when the purpose of the payment is mentioned, for example reparations, hush money, tribute, etc. When the person being paid, or the items or services that are being paid for, are mentioned, then there is a tendency for bezahlen being used. In both cases, using the respective other term is acceptable though:
- Wer zahlt/bezahlt die Reparaturen? ― Who pays for the repairs?
- Oftmals werden die Lehrer nicht genug bezahlt / Oftmals wird den Lehrern nicht genug gezahlt ― Often the teachers aren't paid enough.
- Steuern zahlen/bezahlen müssen wir alle. ― We all have to pay taxes.
There are a few cases where only one choice can be used:
- When the payee is a direct object, only bezahlen can be used:
  - Sie bezahlten die externe Firma für Beratungsdienste. ― They paid the external company for consultancy services.
  - Die Unterstellung, sich von einer kriminellen Vereinigung bezahlen zu lassen, weist der Politiker zurück. ― The politician rejects the allegation that he is being paid by a criminal organisation.
- When used with a prepositional dative object with an, only zahlen can be used:
  - Wir zahlen immer noch am Haus. ― We're still paying for the house.

Conjugation of zahlen (weak, auxiliary haben)

¹Rare except in very formal contexts; alternative in würde normally preferred.

Composed forms of zahlen (weak, auxiliary haben)