Asking for a bill in English in a restaurant, cafe or pub is, at first glance, a completely simple task. Despite the apparent simplicity, many Russian tourists make mistakes or simply get lost, trying to find the right phrase. As a result, the majority simply translates what they want to say, word for word from the Russian language. This is called "tracing" and in most cases, it brings waiters, bartenders, cashiers and other service personnel into a cultural stupor.
The first thing a Russian tourist should learn in an English speaking country is that literal translation is his worst enemy. In addition, even if a tourist had only A’s in English at school, he would hardly be able to freely explain what exactly he needed without learning a number of useful phrases that will be given later in this article.
How to call the waiter?
Suppose the tourist has received his order,emptied his plate and is now going to ask for the bill. Before you break your head over the phrase "Can I count?" in English, in the restaurant you need to attract the attention of the staff. A tourist recalls how he would have done it in an ordinary Russian cafe:
Girl! May I have you?
Then, if the tourist did not look into the phrase book and did not learn the appropriate phrases, he will certainly translate his version, familiar to Russian cafes, literally:
Girl! Can I have you?
After that, he will wonder for a long time and concentratedly why the waitress was offended / angry / burst into tears / slapped him in the face, and he was rudely kicked out of a decent establishment.
The fact is that the above phrase is in no way suitable for communicating with service personnel in a restaurant or cafe. Moreover, the only group of persons for whom the rude treatment of a girl is applicable is women of easy virtue. That's why tracing paper is a tourist's worst enemy.
You should address waiters or waitresses using, depending on the situation, one of the following options:
- Miss.
- Sir.
- Madam (M'am).
- Mister.
You don't need to call at all to get the attention of the attendants - you can just raise your hand.
How do I ask for a bill?
Suppose that the tourist managed to attract the attention of the waiter and was not thrown out of the establishment with a demand not to return to it. To ask for a restaurant bill in English, he canuse one of several phrases of varying degrees of politeness.
If a traveler has not sat down to an English textbook for many years, a simple remark to remember will help him:
Bill, please (Bill, please)
If he really had an A in this subject, and some knowledge from the school bench has been preserved, he may well show politeness and good manners and ask for a restaurant bill in English, using a more complex, but more cultured phrase:
Can I have the bill, please?
Or:
Can I please have the bill?
If a tourist for some reason does not use these phrases, for example, he forgot what the English translation of the word "account" in a restaurant is, he may well use another phrase that does not contain a direct request:
I would like to pay now, please
Besides, he will certainly get a bill if he asks how much his order costs.
How much does it cost?
To ask for a bill in English in a restaurant or cafe, the following option would be a little more familiar:
How much is the total?
Also, the tourist may ask how much he owes. In English, there is a phrase for this, almost similar to Russian:
How much do I owe you?
From these phrases it is quite possiblechoose only the ones you like, but it will be much more efficient to learn them all. Just in case.
How to report a bug?
Having received the bill, the tourist will certainly study it carefully. And it is possible that he will find an error or inaccuracy in it, which he will definitely want to report.
Of course, in English.
I think/guess/believe the bill is added up wrong
This expression is appropriate if the traveler had a five not only in English, but also in mathematics, and he is absolutely sure that something is wrong with the score. If he is not sure, and there is no calculator at hand, you can formulate your claim more politely - in the form of a question:
Is it just me, or the bill is added up wrong?
Or more politely:
Are you sure the bill is added up right?
Such a claim is not considered offensive or rude in cultural institutions. It just means that the tourist wants to double check everything, so any waiter will readily explain what the tourist is going to pay for.
How to pay in the company
A traveler may well dine not alone, but with friends.
If these are not very close friends of different social status, and on the common table expensive lobsters are side by side with cheap vegetable salad, the following phrase will come in handy:
We are paying separately (We will payseparately)
Each guest will receive a separate bill, and guests will not have to pay for someone else's lobsters.
If the company is friendly, and everyone eats about the same thing, the bill can be divided:
Let's split the bill
If one has more green bills in his wallet than his companions, he may well show a gesture of goodwill and pay for all:
I'm paying for everything
If you don't want to be in debt to anyone, offer to pay for yourself:
Let me pay my share
By the way, when trying to impress your companions (or companion), you can use the following phrase:
Put it on my bill, please
How to ask for a check
To receive a check, you can use a phrase very similar to the one used to ask for a bill.
Check, please (Check please)
A more polite version is slightly different:
Can I get the check, please?
In general, you don't need any particularly complicated phrases to ask for a check or bill at a restaurant.
Summing up
It's easy to ask for a bill in English in a cafe or restaurant. If you learn the appropriate phrases, practice at home in front of a mirror and try not to worry, you can make a good impression on others, do not lose face and getthe pleasure of visiting a cafe or restaurant. It is important to remember that you should not trace phrases from the Russian language and do not be shy about asking for help if necessary.
