платить vs оплачивать

platit vs oplachivat — pay money vs pay for a bill, service, or item

What it really means

Плати́ть means to pay, especially to give money; it can take an amount (платить сто рублей), a person in the dative (платить врачу), or за + accusative for what you pay for. Опла́чивать means to pay for and normally takes the bill, service, fee, or purchase directly in the accusative: оплатить счёт, билет, обучение.

Do not say оплатить за билет. The object after оплачивать is already what is paid for. Платить is broader and is also used for wages, taxes, and regular payments.

Examples in natural speech

Я плачу картой.
I am paying by card.
Мы платим за интернет каждый месяц.
We pay for internet every month.
Она платит врачу после каждого приёма.
She pays the doctor after every appointment.
Оплатите счёт, пожалуйста.
Please pay the bill.
Компания оплачивает обучение сотрудников.
The company pays for employees' training.

Common mistakes

The common error is "оплатить за..." This mixes two patterns. Say платить за билет or оплатить билет. Also, оплатить человека is usually wrong when you mean give a person money; use заплатить человеку.

Memory tip

Платить can be followed by за + accusative; оплачивать takes the thing paid for directly.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between платить and оплачивать?

Платить is the general verb pay and can refer to money, a person, or paying for something with за. Оплачивать means pay for a specific bill, service, or item.

Can I say оплатить за билет?

No. Say оплатить билет or платить за билет. Оплачивать already takes the item paid for as its direct object.

Which verb is used for paying taxes?

Usually платить: платить налоги. You can also see оплачивать a specific invoice or fee, but платить is the broad everyday choice.

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