Cobrar, Pagar and Custar: Who Charges, Who Pays and What Costs?
Use cobrar with the charging party as subject
Cobrar commonly describes charging an amount for a product or service. A person or business sets or requests the charge. You can add the amount and use por to identify what it covers. The sentence says what is charged, not necessarily what has already been paid. That distinction is useful when comparing quotes or checking why an extra amount appears on a bill.
A oficina cobra cem reais pelo serviço.
The repair shop charges one hundred reais for the service.
Vocês cobram pela entrega?
Do you charge for delivery?
Use pagar with the payer as subject
Pagar describes the payment from the customer's or payer's perspective. You can name an amount, a bill or a product in the appropriate pattern. Paguei pelo conserto says that you paid for the repair; paguei a conta says that you paid the bill. The past event concerns payment, which is different from merely receiving an estimate or agreeing to a price.
Paguei cem reais pelo conserto.
I paid one hundred reais for the repair.
Use custar with the product or service as subject
Custar can state the price of an item or service. The thing being priced becomes the subject, so quanto custa? is a practical price question. With a plural subject, use custam. This structure does not need a customer or a shop in the sentence. It tells you the price, not whether a particular payment has been made or accepted.
Quanto custam essas duas peças?
How much do these two parts cost?
Distinguish a charge from a completed payment
A charge can exist before the money changes hands. They may cobrar a deposit today, while you will pagar tomorrow. If you are checking a bill, ask what was charged and what has already been paid as separate questions. This prevents a common misunderstanding in which a requested amount is treated as a completed payment or a quoted price is treated as an invoice.
Eles cobraram a taxa, mas ainda não paguei.
They charged the fee, but I have not paid it yet.
Recognize cobrar as following up on an obligation
Cobrar can also concern asking someone to fulfill an obligation, including a payment, response or task. Cobrar uma resposta does not mean putting a price on the answer. The object and context distinguish payment from a follow-up. When asking for an update, a neutral practical phrase such as poderia confirmar? may communicate your need more gently than announcing that you are charging someone for a reply.
Vou cobrar uma resposta amanhã.
I will follow up for an answer tomorrow.
Practice before opening the answers
These are original written practice activities. Try a reply first, then compare the suggested answer and explanation. Other answers can work when they keep the intended meaning.
- Original practice: Ask a business whether delivery has an extra charge.
Suggested answer and explanation
Vocês cobram pela entrega?
The business is the charging party. Custar would place the delivery or item in the subject position instead.
- Original practice: Say the repair cost two hundred reais. Make the repair the subject.
Suggested answer and explanation
O conserto custou duzentos reais.
Custar states the price from the service perspective. It does not specify who paid or when payment was completed.
- Original practice: You paid the bill yesterday.
Suggested answer and explanation
Paguei a conta ontem.
The implied eu is the payer. Cobrei a conta would instead suggest requesting payment or following up, reversing your role.
- Original practice: Someone says Vou cobrar uma resposta. Explain without inventing a fee.
Suggested answer and explanation
They will follow up and ask for an answer.
Cobrar can seek fulfillment of an obligation. The object resposta supports a follow-up reading rather than a monetary price.
Try it with your own example
Describe the same purchase from the seller's, buyer's and item's perspectives. Keep practicing with the Real Life Portuguese app.
