German · Restaurant
You ask for the bill and pay: what to say in German
You ask for the bill and pay.
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How it's done. You pay at the table at the end: the waiter says the sum and you say what you hand over including the tip: Stimmt so (keep the change) or Machen Sie 40.Prepared by the Movko team, November 2026. This is language help, not legal or medical advice: check the rules with the office itself.
Cheat sheet for your visit
The first phrase is open: tap ▶ to listen, or “Show” to show it to the other person. The rest of the dialogue is in the course in the app.
1
YOU START
Zahlen, bitte!
TSAH-layn, BEE-teh!
The bill, please!
Or say:Die Rechnung, bitte.
Dee REKH-noong, BEE-teh.
THEY SAY
Zusammen oder getrennt?Tsoo-ZAH-mayn OH-duh geh-TRAYNT?
Together or separately?
They might also say:
Möchten Sie zusammen zahlen?
MYOKH-tayn zee tsoo-ZAH-mayn TSAH-layn?
Will you pay together?
2
YOU REPLY
Zusammen, bitte.
Tsoo-ZAH-mayn, BEE-teh.
Together, please.
Or say:Getrennt, bitte.
Geh-TRAYNT, BEE-teh.
THEY SAY
Das macht achtunddreißig fünfzig.Dahs mahkht AHKH-toon-drigh-seekh FYOONF-tseekh.
That comes to thirty-eight fifty.
3
YOU REPLY
Machen Sie vierzig.
MAH-khayn zee FEER-tseekh.
Make it forty.
Or say:Stimmt so.
Shteemt zoh.
THEY SAY
Vielen Dank, das ist sehr freundlich!FEE-layn dahnk, dahs eest zehr FROYN-dleekh!
Thank you very much, that's very kind!
4
YOU FINISH
Gern geschehen! Einen schönen Abend!
Gehrn geh-SHEH-ayn! IGH-nayn SHYOH-nayn AH-baynt!
My pleasure! Have a nice evening!
The course is in the app
This dialogue is part of the course “German for life in Germany”: 416 situations with audio, a pronunciation guide and spaced review.
On the website the first dialogue, the 112 category, the rescue phrases and the “Basics” are fully open.
Words worth knowing
Zahlen
TSAH-layn
verb
to pay
Zusammen
Tsoo-ZAH-mayn
adverb
together
getrennt
geh-TRAYNT
adjective
separately
macht
mahkht
verb
makes
Machen
MAH-khayn
verb
to do, to make
Vielen
FEE-layn
adjective
many (dative)
16 more words, with explanations, base forms and tap-a-word help, are in the app.
If you did not understand
Können Sie das bitte wiederholen?
KYOH-nayn zee dahs BEE-teh vee-dehr-KHOH-layn?
Can you repeat that, please?
Was bedeutet das?
Vahs beh-DOY-tet dahs?
What does this mean?
Similar situations
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