Question
If you want to talk about paying a bill at a hotel or restaurant, which verb would be more commonly used:
платиь/заплатиь or оплачивать/оплатить ?
My dictionary gives both with no indication of difference.
Answer
Hi George,
These verbs are actually synonyms. Оплачивать-оплатить (used with the Accusative case without any preposition) is normally used when we pay a service or a fine: оплатить штраф, оплатить счёт. Платить-заплатить is used with the preposition за with the Accusative case and it is used when we pay for something "bigger": платить за квартиру, платить за свои ошибки, платить за электричество.
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