Explore 払 in everyday payments and in expressions for brushing away and paying attention.

The idea

払 has 5 strokes; follow the linked diagram. Learn 払う（はらう） and 支払い（しはらい） as whole words. 払う is a godan verb: 払います is polite, while 払って is its te-form.

Patterns to compare
Japanese wordReadingExample in context
払うはらうI pay the bill by card.
支払いしはらいPayment can be made in cash.
注意を払うちゅういをはらうI pay attention to safety.

Examples

  • 代金だいきんをカードで払はらいます。I pay the bill by card.
  • 昨日きのう家賃やちんを払はらいました。I paid the rent yesterday.
  • 期限きげんまでに払はらってください。Please pay by the deadline.
  • 支払しはらいは現金げんきんでもできます。Payment can be made in cash.
  • 机つくえのほこりを払はらいます。I brush dust off the desk.
  • 安全あんぜんに注意ちゅういを払はらいます。I pay attention to safety.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.

Watch out

払う can mean brushing something away as well as paying money. 注意を払う means to pay attention, not to pay a fee.

Try it yourself

  1. Write the reading of 払う in hiragana.

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    はらう

    払う is はらう: う is part of the word. It can mean to pay a bill.

  2. Write the reading of 支払い in hiragana.

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    しはらい

    支払い is しはらい, a noun meaning payment; learn the compound as a whole.

  3. Choose the missing kanji: 支＿い（しはらい）［払／買］.

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    払

    払 completes 支払い（しはらい）, meaning payment. 買 means buy and does not complete this word.

Use it today

Write 払 following the diagram. Cover the table, read 払う and 支払い, then make a sentence with one of them.