How to Ask for the Bill in German?

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How would you ask for the bill in German, say at a café or restaurant? There are quite a few different variations! Let's have a look.

bill in german
I had 12 martinis. How much is that?
09.06.2022

How do you ask for the bill in German? Knowing how to ask questions in German can be a struggle for beginners, but it can be an especially daunting task to have to ask for the bill when you don't know the language very well just yet.

But the good news is: If you just remember a few key phrases, you should be good to go and be able to pay for lattes left and right 😊

Here's a quick overview of what we're going to cover:

How to ask for the bill in German

Different ways to ask for the bill

Let's start with an overview of different ways to ask for the bill:

Englisch Deutsch
Can I pay please? Kann ich zahlen, bitte?
Kann ich zahlen? Can I pay?
I would like to pay Ich würde gerne zahlen
Can I have the check please? Kann ich bitte die Rechnung haben?
Can I have the bill please? Kann ich bitte die Rechnung haben?

Using any of the above phrases is fine. Just remember that they're written in the singular and that if you continue talking to the waiter you would most probably use the formal "you" (Sie).

It would go something like this:

🧑🏻‍🦱Peter

Entschuldigen Sie? Wir würden gerne zahlen, bitte.

🤵🏻‍♂️Kellner

Gar kein Problem, ich bin sofort bei Ihnen. Möchten Sie bar zahlen oder mit Karte?

🧑🏻‍🦱Peter

Mit Karte bitte! Vielen Dank.

Now let's talk about ways to ask for the check in German in a bit more detail.

Bill, please

Asking for the bill in German by saying "Bill please" or "Check please" would simply be "Die Rechnung, bitte". You could say that. But you shouldn't be suprised if some people might think you're a bit rude (and maybe also a little old school).

Die Rechnung bitte!

bill please!

What we recommend instead is to say "Can I have the bill, please?".

👇👇👇

Can I have the bill, please?

The better & more polite version of asking for the bill is to just a tiny bit longer. The English equivalent would be to ask "I would like to have the bill, please?" or "Can I have the bill, please?":

Ich hätte gerne die Rechnung bitte.

I would like to get the bill, please!

Or, if you're with multiple people you'd use the plural:

Wir hätten gerne die Rechnung bitte.

We would like to get the bill, please.

If you stick to one of these two options, you will be fine.

☝️It's nice to be nice!

You probably should not ask for the bill without any preamble. You will first want to get the waiter's attention by saying " Entschuldigung" or " Entschuldigen Sie?". Only then would you politely ask to pay.

I would like to pay please

Ich würde auch gerne zahlen, bitte!

Wir würden auch gerne zahlen, bitte!

Can I Pay Please

Lastly (and not less polite), you could also ask for the check by saying "Can I Pay Please?":

Kann ich zahlen, bitte?

Can I pay please?
Können wir zahlen, bitte?

Can we pay please?

Vocab

If you're wondering what "bill" is in German, or how to say "you can keep the change" whilst on holiday here in Berlin, here is a quick overview of words & handy phrases:

Deutsch Englisch
die Rechnung bill
das Trinkgeld tip
Kann ich mit Karte zahlen? Can I pay by card?
Das stimmt so! You can keep the change
Es hat wirklich gut geschmeckt! lit.: It (the food / drinks) were delicious!
Zusammen? (Are you paying) together?
Getrennt? (Are you paying) separately?
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