<p>还是(better off)</p>

<p>付了吧，(pay it off)</p>

<p>要不(or else)</p>

<p>忘了 (forgotten)</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>"还是付了吧，要不忘了" means "better off pay it off (now), or else (I might) forget"</p>
</blockquote>

<ul>
<li><p>'了' in '付了' is a particle that indicate completion of the verb</p></li>
<li><p>'了' in '忘了'  is a particle that indicate completion of the verb</p></li>
</ul>

<p>付= to pay; 付了= to pay (and finish paying it up)</p>

<p>忘= to forget;  忘了= to forget (and actually/successfully forgotten)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-25T05:36:14.507Z
2018-06-25T05:36:14.507Z
Tang Ho
<p>A natural translation would be:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>还是付了吧，要不忘了<br>
  we'd better pay, otherwise we'll forget</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Although of course there is no 我们 in the sentence, so we don't know if the speaker means "we" or "I" or "you". The context would make that clear.</p>

<p>The first 了 is a modal particle. It is NOT an aspect particle and it does NOT indicate completion of the verb. It indicates a change of state. </p>

<p>The second 了 is part of the word 忘了. You're better off just learning this as a compound word meaning "to forget", rather than worrying about the grammar of it.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-25T09:52:25.007Z
2018-06-25T09:52:25.007Z
Angus Macrae
<p>I think both denote the completion as defined in <a href="http://www.zdic.net/z/15/js/4E86.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this dictionary</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>放在动词或形容词后，表示动作或变化已经完成：写完～。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>付了: get it paid; 忘了: forgotten it. </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>还是付了吧，要不忘了: </p>
  
  <ol>
  <li><p>Better get it paid (now), or you/I would/might have forgotten (to pay it).</p></li>
  <li><p>Better get it paid (now), in case you/I would/might have forgotten (to pay it).</p></li>
  </ol>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-25T05:35:46.963Z
2018-06-25T05:48:20.627Z
2018-06-25T05:48:20.627Z
dan
<p><strong>还是付了吧，要不忘了</strong></p>

<p>This sentence probably means </p>

<p>That's exactly I'll pay for it , not to forget to do.</p>

<p>I know　了 has many aspects.</p>

<p>What's difference between "first 了" and "second 了"?</p>

<p>I think "first 了" is to draw a conclusion, and "second 了"　expresses just the time of forgetting to pay for it.</p>

<p>Is it not right?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-25T05:24:27.613Z
Ah, i think it actually means :
Toosky Hierot
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-25T05:27:02.113Z
We d better pay the bills right now, for fear of forgetting to pay when we leave.
Toosky Hierot
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-25T07:30:00.477Z
You can think of 了 here as 'manage to'. Let's manage to pay the check now, or I might manage to forget before we leave.
NS.X.
<usage>
还是付了吧，要不忘了。了 is ...?
# 还是付了吧，要不忘了。了 is ...?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-06-25)

**还是付了吧，要不忘了**

This sentence probably means

That's exactly I'll pay for it , not to forget to do.

I know　了 has many aspects.

What's difference between "first 了" and "second 了"?

I think "first 了" is to draw a conclusion, and "second 了"　expresses just the time of forgetting to pay for it.

Is it not right?

**Tags:** usage

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Ah, i think it actually means :  
> **username_1**: We d better pay the bills right now, for fear of forgetting to pay when we leave.  
> **username_2**: You can think of 了 here as 'manage to'. Let's manage to pay the check now, or I might manage to forget before we leave.  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2018-06-25. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

I think both denote the completion as defined in [this dictionary](http://www.zdic.net/z/15/js/4E86.htm):

> 放在动词或形容词后，表示动作或变化已经完成：写完～。

付了: get it paid; 忘了: forgotten it.

> 还是付了吧，要不忘了:
>
> 1. Better get it paid (now), or you/I would/might have forgotten (to pay it).
> 2. Better get it paid (now), in case you/I would/might have forgotten (to pay it).


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2018-06-25. Score: 1

还是(better off)

付了吧，(pay it off)

要不(or else)

忘了 (forgotten)

> "还是付了吧，要不忘了" means "better off pay it off (now), or else (I might) forget"

* '了' in '付了' is a particle that indicate completion of the verb
* '了' in '忘了' is a particle that indicate completion of the verb

付= to pay; 付了= to pay (and finish paying it up)

忘= to forget; 忘了= to forget (and actually/successfully forgotten)


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2018-06-25. Score: 1

A natural translation would be:

> 还是付了吧，要不忘了  
> we'd better pay, otherwise we'll forget

Although of course there is no 我们 in the sentence, so we don't know if the speaker means "we" or "I" or "you". The context would make that clear.

The first 了 is a modal particle. It is NOT an aspect particle and it does NOT indicate completion of the verb. It indicates a change of state.

The second 了 is part of the word 忘了. You're better off just learning this as a compound word meaning "to forget", rather than worrying about the grammar of it.


---

