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Italian 101 · Lesson 8

Paying the Bill

Ask for the bill and explain how you would like to pay.

4 min

Begin ↓

01 / 08

Ask for the bill

Il conto, per favore.

eel KON-toh pehr fah-VOH-reh

The bill, please.

Il conto is the bill at a restaurant. A short request is perfectly polite with per favore.

02 / 08

Ask the total

Quanto viene?

KWAN-toh VYEH-neh

How much is it altogether?

Sono ventotto euro.

It’s twenty-eight euros.

Quanto viene is especially useful for the whole order, rather than the price of one item.

03 / 08

Paying by card

Posso pagare con la carta?

POS-soh pah-GAH-reh kon lah KAR-tah

Can I pay by card?

Use con la carta. Carta can also mean paper in other settings, but at payment the meaning is clear.

04 / 08

Paying cash

Con la carta.

By card.

In contanti.

een kon-TAN-tee

In cash.

Learn these as two complete chunks: con la carta, but in contanti.

05 / 08

Separate payments

Possiamo pagare separatamente?

pos-SYAH-moh pah-GAH-reh seh-pah-rah-tah-MEN-teh

Can we pay separately?

Ask whether separate payment is possible; do not assume how the restaurant handles it.

06 / 08

One payment

Tutto insieme.

TOOT-toh een-SYEH-meh

All together.

Insieme o separatamente?

Together or separately?

This answers a question about paying together. Tutto means everything here.

07 / 08

At the till

Sono trentadue euro.

It’s thirty-two euros.

Con la carta, grazie.

By card, thanks.

Listen for the total and then state your payment method. A question can be answered with a short phrase.

Remember this

Takeaway

Il conto, per favore. Possiamo pagare separatamente?

The bill, please. Can we pay separately?

Ask for the bill first, clarify the total if needed and choose your payment phrase.