‘付款’ is a verb meaning 'to pay (money)'—specifically, the act of transferring money to settle a debt or complete a purchase. The character 付 means 'to hand over' or 'to deliver', while 款 means 'funds' or 'money'; together, they literally convey 'handing over money'. It’s commonly used in both formal and informal contexts, especially in commerce, online shopping, banking, and daily transactions.

This word often appears after a subject (e.g., 我, 他, 公司) and before an object indicating what is being paid for (e.g., 账单, 费用, 订单), or with prepositions like 给 (to give payment to someone) or 通过 (via). It’s frequently paired with time words (e.g., 立即付款, 已付款) or modality verbs (e.g., 可以付款, 需要付款). Unlike the more general verb 付, 付款 emphasizes the completion or execution of a monetary transaction, not just the intention or obligation to pay.