Pay Versus Pay For

What is the difference between pay and pay for?

Pay is a transitive verb while pay for is a phrasal verb or an idiom.

A transitive verb needs a direct object right after it. For example, I would like to order three bottles of beer.

The transitive verb "order" needs the direct object "three bottles of beer" to answer the question "what?" It's like, what would you like to order? Three bottles of beer.

In the case of pay as a transitive verb, it needs a direct object. For example, I would like to pay ___ (what?)

It should be "pay something," right?

What are the usual direct objects of pay? 

1. the bill (phone bill, electric bill, internet bill, etc.

2. rent

3. ticket

4. the fee, tuition fee, entry fee, etc.

5.  salary/wages, expenses, penalty, debt, tax 

6. amount of money (100 dollars)

7. a person (driver, delivery boy, employees,  workers, helpers)

 A phrasal verb  - is a combination of a verb + an adverb or a preposition such as "pay + for."

Pay for means paying something in exchange for something that you consumed or used or something that was provided for you.

For example:

1. pay for the meal

2. pay for the service

3. pay for the subscription

An idiom is an expression which meaning is established by the users and is not related to the literal meaning of each word in the expression.

Pay for something is also an idiom that means to be punished for a bad action or a bad thing that was done.

For example: 

You will pay for making my life miserable.