Ask for the bill in Spanish with a short dialogue.

Start with the short request.

Asking for the bill is the last exchange in a café, and one of the shortest. Read each line, check the English and say the Spanish aloud. Use the short phrase first; the longer one is there for when you want a full sentence.

La cuenta is the bill itself, the slip of paper with what you had. The verb contar means to count, which is a memory hook: someone counts up what you ordered. You do not need a verb to ask for the bill, though. The noun plus por favor is enough.

¿Me trae la cuenta, por favor? is the fuller, polite version, close to “could you bring me the bill, please?”. Me trae uses polite singular address (usted), the usual choice between customers and staff. The short La cuenta, por favor is not rude, but keep the por favor in.

Practise both sides of the dialogue.

Here is the whole exchange in one place. Read it twice: once as the learner and once as the server. If you are practising alone, pause after each server line and answer out loud before you look at the next row.

An original practice dialogue, not a recorded conversation. A real café may add its own questions about tables, tips or loyalty cards.

If you order at the counter first, the café ordering dialogue covers the drinks, and this page covers the end of the visit. Both sets of lines sit inside Day 4 of the free 7 Day Spanish Starter Plan.

Pay by card or in cash.

Two short questions cover payment. Choose the one that matches what you are holding, and say it before you take out your wallet.

You may hear the short statement Solo efectivo (cash only) before you ask. The card machine has different names in different countries, so keep to the question ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta? and listen for sí or no. In Spain you will also hear ¿Me cobra, por favor?, which means “could you take the payment, please?”.

Split the bill in a few words.

Two friends often pay separately, and there are a few short phrases for it. Read them, then try the worked example below.

The first two are requests. The third explains the arrangement if the server looks unsure. The fourth is what you say when you want to treat someone.

A small café may work with one till and ask you to pay together, then settle up between yourselves. Treat the phrase as a polite request and follow their lead. If you are heading abroad soon, the Spanish for travel page puts this kind of exchange next to the other travel basics.

Cover the Spanish and recall it.

Recall is the part that makes a phrase stick. Cover the tables above, then write or say the Spanish for each English prompt. Check your answers only after you have tried all four.

• I can ask for the bill with one short phrase.
• I can ask to pay by card or in cash.
• I can ask for two bills when I am with a friend.

Use the examples whenever you need them. This is practice, not a proficiency test.

Common questions.