Learn French: Il faut payer cette facture aujourd'hui. - It is necessary to pay this invoice today.

Il faut payer cette facture aujourd'hui.

It is necessary to pay this invoice today.

Breakdown of Il faut payer cette facture aujourd'hui.

this (before a noun)

payer

to pay

it (impersonal subject)

aujourd'hui

today

Questions & Answers about Il faut payer cette facture aujourd'hui.

The lesson is about changing -yer to -ier verbs. Why is payer spelled with a y here?

Because it comes directly after Il faut. After Il faut, the action verb is always kept in its full, unconjugated dictionary form (the infinitive). You only change the y to an i when you actually conjugate the verb to match a subject, like in je paie (I pay).

Why do we use cette instead of ce?

Cette is the word for 'this' or 'that' used with feminine nouns. Since facture (invoice) is a feminine word, we must use cette. If you were talking about a masculine item, you would use ce instead.

Does Il faut always mean 'It is necessary'?

Yes, it is a fixed expression. The il doesn't mean 'he' here; it acts like the 'it' in 'it is raining'. It translates roughly to 'it is necessary' or 'one must'. If you wanted to specifically say 'I must pay', you would use the verb devoir instead: je dois payer.

Do I need a French word for 'for' if I want to say 'pay for this invoice'?

No, the verb payer already includes the idea of paying for a good or service. You just put the item directly after the verb, as in payer cette facture.