French for Beginners: Asking for the Bill and Paying by Card
Learn to end a meal in French: request the bill politely and ask whether you can pay by card, with pronunciation and register notes.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
Ending a meal in a French-speaking café or restaurant has its own set of phrases. This lesson focuses only on that final stage: getting the server's attention, asking for the bill, and checking whether card payment is possible. You will learn the standard phrase L'addition, s'il vous plaît and the question Je peux payer par carte ? You will also see how register changes between France and Quebec, and how to avoid a common word-order mistake.
By the end, you can…
- politely ask for the bill at the end of a meal.
- ask whether card payment is accepted and understand a simple yes or no answer.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
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L'addition, s'il vous plaît.
The bill, please.
lah-dee-SYON, seel voo PLEH
The standard, polite way to ask for the bill in France and most francophone places. Use it after you have finished eating and are ready to pay.
Je peux payer par carte ?
Can I pay by card?
zhuh puh pay-YAY par KART
A neutral, natural question. The rising intonation at the end makes it a question; no extra word is needed in everyday speech.
Vous acceptez la carte bancaire ?
Do you accept bank cards?
voo zak-sep-TAY lah kart bahn-KAIR
Slightly more formal and explicit. Carte bancaire is the full term; in speech many people shorten it to carte.
Est-ce que je peux payer par carte ?
Can I pay by card?
ess kuh zhuh puh pay-YAY par KART
A fuller, very common alternative to Je peux payer par carte ? It is equally polite and often easier for beginners to hear as a question.
L'addition, s'il vous plaît. On peut payer séparément ?
The bill, please. Can we pay separately?
lah-dee-SYON, seel voo PLEH. on puh pay-YAY say-pa-ray-MAHN
Useful for groups. Séparément means separately; in Quebec you may also hear chacun sa facture in informal contexts.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
To ask for the bill, use L'addition, s'il vous plaît. The noun addition is feminine, so the article is la, which contracts to l' before a vowel: l'addition. To ask about payment, use Je peux + infinitive: Je peux payer par carte ? You can also use the fuller frame Est-ce que je peux payer par carte ? Both are correct. For a group, add On peut payer séparément ? Note that payer is followed directly by the payment method: payer par carte, payer en espèces (in cash).
When to use it
Use L'addition, s'il vous plaît when you want the bill and are ready to pay. In many French-speaking places the server will not bring the bill until you ask, so this phrase is the normal signal that the meal is over. Use Je peux payer par carte ? or Vous acceptez la carte bancaire ? before paying if you are unsure about card acceptance. If you are paying in cash, say Je paie en espèces. For split bills, ask On peut payer séparément ? Regional note: in Quebec, the bill is often called la facture, so L'addition, s'il vous plaît is understood but La facture, s'il vous plaît is also common.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
L'addition, s'il vous plaît.
The bill, please.lah-dee-SYON, seel voo PLEHTout de suite. Vous payez comment ?
Right away. How are you paying?too duh SWEET. voo pay-YAY koh-MAHNJe peux payer par carte ?
Can I pay by card?zhuh puh pay-YAY par KARTOui, bien sûr. La machine est là-bas.
Yes, of course. The machine is over there.wee, byan SOOR. lah mah-SHEEN eh lah-BAHA little context goes a long way
In France, asking for the bill is normal and expected; the server usually does not bring it automatically. S'il vous plaît is important for politeness. In Quebec, la facture is common alongside l'addition, and card payment is widely accepted. Tipping practices vary: service is included in France, while in Quebec a tip is customary. These are general tendencies, not rules for every establishment.
One thing to watch for
Je peux payer avec carte ?
Try this instead: Use par carte, not avec carte, for card payment: Je peux payer par carte ? The preposition par is the standard one here. Avec is used in other contexts, for example payer avec un billet (pay with a banknote).
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you ask for the bill politely in French?
Show a sample answer
L'addition, s'il vous plaît.
This is the standard polite phrase. In Quebec, La facture, s'il vous plaît is also valid.
2Translate: Can I pay by card?
Show a sample answer
Je peux payer par carte ?
This works with rising intonation. Est-ce que je peux payer par carte ? is an equally correct fuller form.
3You are with friends and want to pay separately. What do you say?
Show a sample answer
On peut payer séparément ?
This asks whether separate payment is possible. Some establishments may refuse, so asking first is useful.
To end a meal in French, say L'addition, s'il vous plaît, then ask Je peux payer par carte ? Remember par carte, not avec carte, and use la facture in Quebec.
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