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to pay cash

to pay cash

38 1.7
Use paper money and coins to buy something
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : pagar en efectivo
  • Many customers prefer to pay cash rather than use a credit card for small purchases.

What, what I'm saying is this, since the beginning of time, people paid cash, tangible goods.

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Examples

  • This is an expensive city, and these guys pay cash.

  • I'm glad I just moved into a gated community and paid cash for my house.

    Blog text (4)
  • And that said, if you pay cash, we'll give you a break.

  • And he paid cash for those.

  • Or would you like to pay cash?

  • Other car owners have offered to pay cash instead of getting tickets, she said.

    Blog text (14)
  • We asked if he would accept $500 if we paid cash and picked it up right away.

    Blog text (13)
  • So, it would be nice to pay cash for everything we citizens voted to have built.

    Blog text (19)
  • No, I'm gonna pay cash.

  • I'll go downtown tomorrow, and I'll get a job that pays cash.

Antonyms

32 1.8

Write a paper order that tells a bank to pay money

Surface Forms

pay cash infinitive
paying cash present participle
pays cash third person singular
paid cash past
paid cash past participle

Morphology

pay + cash

The meaning 'to pay using physical money' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'pay' (transfer money) with 'cash' (physical bills/coins). The verb + noun construction indicating the method of payment is common in English and other languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily understand this phrase.

Etymology

Pay cash comes from the simple image of handing cash (notes and coins) directly to the seller and paying them on the spot instead of using a card. That's why pay cash means 'to pay with physical money rather than by card or check'.