How to Ask for the BillIn German
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.
01.12.2023
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.
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:
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:
Now let's talk about ways to ask for the check in German in a bit more detail.
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).
What we recommend instead is to say "Can I have the bill, please?".
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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?":
Or, if you're with multiple people you'd use the plural:
If you stick to one of these two options, you will be fine.
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.
Lastly (and not less polite), you could also ask for the check by saying "Can I Pay Please?":
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:
