Meaning trap
pay back
return money
to give someone the money that you borrowed from them.
Don't mix these meanings
Same phrase, different job.
to give someone the money that you borrowed from them.
Another meaning of 'pay back' is 'get revenge'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
- I’ll pay you back as soon as I get my salary.money
- If I ever borrow money from a friend, I always make sure to pay them back quickly because I don’t want to damage our relationship.IELTS speaking
Fix the pattern
Pattern: pay back (someone) | pay (someone) back
WrongI'll pay back you tomorrow.
RightI'll pay you back tomorrow.
With a pronoun, the object goes in the middle: 'pay you back'.
Patternpay back (someone) | pay (someone) back
Use it right
Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.
'Pay back' is the everyday phrase for returning money; 'reimburse' is formal/admin.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
pay + back + moneyyou backthe loanback £50in instalments
Don't confuse it
Not the same as 'give back', which is for returning things, not money.
Related
- pay back (get revenge) — Another meaning of 'pay back' is 'get revenge'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.