Meaning

Primary

To Pay

Word Type

transitive verb, godan verb

Explanation

The hiragana ends with an sound, so you know this is a verb. To support pay is another way to say to pay.

支払う is a common word used when paying for something, such as a bill, fee, or purchase. It can be used in both casual and formal contexts, but it feels a bit more complete and proper than 払う. For example, in casual conversation you'd be more likely to say 私が払うよ (I'll pay), but you could use 支払う too — it would just sound slightly more polite.

Reading

しはらう
  • Kyoko
    (Tokyo accent, female)
  • Kenichi
    (Tokyo accent, male)

Explanation

This is just the on'yomi reading of added on to 払う. You learned that reading with the kanji, so you should be okay here.

Context

Common Word Combinations

  • お金を支払う

    to pay money

    代金を支払う

    to pay the cost

    料金を支払う

    to pay a fee

    〜円を支払う

    to pay ~ yen

Context Sentences

アメックスで支払えますか?

Can I pay by American Express?

代金はクレジットカードで支払う予定です。

I plan to pay the cost with a credit card.

分かりました。期日までに支払ってくださいね。

Got it. Please make sure to pay by the due date, okay?

Kanji Composition