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Italian · Cafés & restaurants · Elementary

How to ask for the bill in Italian

In Italy the bill rarely comes until you ask: catch the waiter’s eye and say “Il conto, per favore” or “Ci porta il conto, per favore?”. To split it equally, ask “Possiamo dividere il conto in quattro parti uguali?”. Check for coperto, a cover charge. Tipping is optional: round up or leave a little for good service.

Try it · about two minutes

At the end of a meal with three friends, you ask for the bill, split it and decide whether to leave a tip.

Sound on: the waiter speaks Italian. You choose what to say back, and Frasa tells you why it works.

The conversation

  1. Waiter

    È tutto a posto?

    Is everything all right?

    You

    Era tutto squisito, grazie.

    Everything was delicious, thank you.

  2. Waiter

    Vuole vedere il menù dei dolci?

    Would you like to see the dessert menu?

    You

    No, grazie, siamo a posto così.

    No, thanks, we’re fine.

  3. The bill arrives. There are four of you, and you need to decide how to split it.

    You

    Possiamo dividere il conto in quattro parti uguali?

    Could we split the bill equally between the four of us?

  4. Waiter

    Paga con la carta o in contanti?

    Card or cash?

    You

    In contanti, grazie.

    Cash, thanks.

  5. Waiter

    Ecco il resto.

    Here’s your change.

    You

    Tenga pure il resto.

    Keep the change.

  6. Waiter

    Grazie di essere venuti.

    Thank you for coming.

    You

    Grazie a voi, buonasera.

    Thank you, good evening.

Key phrases

  • Il conto, per favore.

    The bill, please.

  • Ci porta il conto, per favore?

    Could you bring us the bill, please?

  • Possiamo dividere il conto in quattro parti uguali?

    Could we split the bill equally between the four of us?

  • Vorremmo pagare separatamente.

    We’d like to pay separately.

  • Il coperto è incluso?

    Is the cover charge included?

  • Qui si lascia la mancia o è già compresa?

    Do people leave a tip here, or is it already included?

  • Credo che ci sia un errore nel conto.

    I think there’s a mistake on the bill.

  • Paga con la carta o in contanti?

    Card or cash?

  • Tenga pure il resto.

    Keep the change.

  • Era tutto squisito, grazie.

    Everything was delicious, thank you.

Good to know in Italy

How paying usually goes

  1. 1

    Catch the waiter’s eye and ask. The bill rarely comes unasked.

    The bill, please.
  2. 2

    Check the bill. Many restaurants add coperto, a small charge per person.

  3. 3

    Pay at the table, or at the till, la cassa, on your way out.

Tipping is optional

If the bill already shows servizio, there’s no need to tip. Otherwise, rounding up or leaving a little for good service is welcome, not expected.

Qui si lascia la mancia o è già compresa?

Do people leave a tip here, or is it already included?

Alla romana

Among friends, splitting the bill equally is common, and most people call it pagare alla romana. Some use the phrase for each paying for what they had, so check what your group means.

Possiamo dividere il conto in quattro parti uguali?

Could we split the bill equally between the four of us?

More situations in Italian

All situations in Italian

Keep these phrases in Frasa

Frasa is an iPhone app for the conversations in front of you. Save phrases like these, rehearse them out loud, and they come back until they stick.

AI-generated. May be inaccurate.