Learn Spanish (Latin America): El gasto básico es el tuyo; espero que lo pagues. - The basic expense is yours; I hope that you pay it.

The verb is pagar (to pay). In the present subjunctive, -ar verbs take -e endings, so the tú form ends in -es. However, in Spanish, a "g" before an "e" makes a soft sound (like an English "h"). To keep the hard "g" sound from pagar, we have to add a silent "u", making the spelling pagues.

Why do we use the subjunctive (pagues) here instead of the normal present tense (pagas)?

The phrase espero que (I hope that) is a classic trigger for the subjunctive. When you express a hope, wish, or desire about what someone else will do, the second verb (the action you are hoping for) must be in the subjunctive.

Why is it el tuyo instead of just tuyo?

Here, el tuyo is a possessive pronoun meaning "yours". It takes the place of the noun phrase "your expense". In Spanish, possessive pronouns usually require a definite article (el, la, los, or las) in front of them. We use el because it refers back to el gasto, which is masculine singular.

I thought gasto meant "I spend" (from the verb gastar). Why does it mean "expense" here?