Asking for the bill in French

1. 1
   addition/adisjɔ̃/

   billnoun

   The paper that shows how much you owe at a café or restaurant.
2. 2
   serveur/sɛʁvœʁ/

   waiternoun

   A man who brings the food and drinks to customers in a restaurant.
3. 3
   payer/pɛje/

   to payverb

   To give money for something or a service.
4. 4

   cartecard

5. 5

   espècecash

6. 6

   monnaiechange

7. 7

   pourboiretip

8. 8

   partagerto share

9. 9

   reçureceipt

10. 10

    délicieuxdelicious

The sentences3 of 10

1. Vous pouvez nous apporter l'addition, s'il vous plaît ?

   Could you bring us the bill, please?

2. Je vais demander l'addition au serveur qui passe près de nous.

   I'll ask the waiter for the bill when he passes by.

3. On voudrait payer tout de suite, le dernier métro part bientôt.

   We'd like to pay right away, the last metro leaves soon.

Pronunciation

• addition/adisjɔ̃/

  The ending is said /sjɔ̃/: a nasal vowel, you don't hear the n.

• payer/pɛje/

  The first syllable is said with an open e, like 'pè', not like 'pé'.

Good to know

service compris

Service is always included in the menu prices, by law. There is nothing extra to work out or add for it.

pourboire

Since service is included, a tip is not expected. Many people round up the bill or leave the small change when they were happy with the service.

l'addition

The waiter usually does not bring the bill until you ask, since that would feel like rushing you out. It is up to you to catch their eye or ask when you are ready.

carte bancaire

Cards are accepted almost everywhere, even for small amounts. In smaller places it still helps to carry a little cash just in case.

Questions

What does pourboire mean?

Pourboire is the money you leave in addition to thank the person who served you.