”分期付款” 這種方式叫 layaway plan 或 installment plan ( layaway [ˋleə͵we]; installment [ɪnˋstɔlmənt]) 要問店家買某樣東西是否能以分期方式付款, 可以問: Do you have/offer a layaway plan? 圖片裡的廣告就是提供新娘禮服的分期付款 (好心酸的廣告呀......) 要表示某樣東西是分期買來的, 就可以說: I bought this laptop on layaway. 或 I bought this laptop on a layaway plan / an installment plan. 分成幾期則是用 in ... installments 例如: I paid for the laptop in four installments. 也可以問商家: How many installments will I have to pay? 或 How many installments are there going to be? ”頭期款” 則是叫 down payment 像: The down payment for this car is $4,000. 動詞用法則是 put down ... 比如:
To buy this laptop, you have to put down $500 first, and then pay another four installments of $400 each. (先付五百元, 然後四期各四百元)