French for Restaurants: Asking for the Bill and Splitting It
Learn elementary French to request the bill at a restaurant and ask whether you can split it, with polite phrases, pronunciation and a short dialogue.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
At the end of a restaurant meal in France, you usually do not get the bill automatically; you ask for it when you are ready to leave. This lesson teaches two essential requests: asking for the bill politely and asking whether you can split it. You will learn fixed polite phrases, how to pronounce them, and how to handle the common situation where the server expects one payment for the table.
By the end, you can…
- politely ask a server for the bill at a restaurant.
- ask whether the bill can be split between several people.
- understand a simple reply about paying together or separately.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
L'addition, s'il vous plaît.
The bill, please.
lah-dee-SYON, seel voo PLEH
The most common way to ask for the bill in a restaurant. 'L'addition' is the restaurant bill; at a café counter you would normally just pay at the counter when you leave.
Est-ce qu'on peut avoir l'addition, s'il vous plaît ?
Could we have the bill, please?
ess-kon puh a-VWAR lah-dee-SYON, seel voo PLEH
A full polite request for a group. 'On' here means 'we' in everyday spoken French.
Est-ce qu'on peut payer séparément ?
Can we pay separately?
ess-kon puh pay-YAY say-pa-ray-MON
Use this to ask about splitting the bill. 'Séparément' means separately, one payment per person.
Est-ce qu'on peut partager l'addition ?
Can we split the bill?
ess-kon puh par-ta-ZHAY lah-dee-SYON
This asks to divide the total, not necessarily to pay individually. In many restaurants, staff prefer one card payment, so ask before assuming.
On peut faire moitié-moitié ?
Can we go halves?
on puh fair mwah-TYAY-mwah-TYAY
Informal and useful for two people. It means splitting the total equally in two.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
To ask politely whether something is possible, use 'Est-ce qu'on peut... ?' plus the infinitive. Examples: 'Est-ce qu'on peut avoir l'addition ?' (Can we have the bill?), 'Est-ce qu'on peut payer séparément ?' (Can we pay separately?), 'Est-ce qu'on peut partager l'addition ?' (Can we split the bill?). The fixed phrase 's'il vous plaît' makes the request polite and should come at the end.
When to use it
In a restaurant, ask for the bill only when you are ready to pay; in France it is normal for the bill not to arrive automatically. Use 'L'addition, s'il vous plaît' for a simple request. If you are with others, use 'Est-ce qu'on peut payer séparément ?' or 'Est-ce qu'on peut partager l'addition ?'. If the server says 'On ne peut pas séparer' or 'Une seule carte, s'il vous plaît', pay together and settle among yourselves.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Excusez-moi, est-ce qu'on peut avoir l'addition, s'il vous plaît ?
Excuse me, could we have the bill, please?eks-kew-zay-mwah, ess-kon puh a-VWAR lah-dee-SYON, seel voo PLEHOui, bien sûr. Vous payez ensemble ou séparément ?
Yes, of course. Are you paying together or separately?wee, byan sewr. voo pay-YAY on-SON-bluh say-pa-ray-MONEst-ce qu'on peut payer séparément, s'il vous plaît ?
Can we pay separately, please?ess-kon puh pay-YAY say-pa-ray-MON, seel voo PLEHBien sûr. Je vous apporte deux additions.
Of course. I'll bring you two bills.byan sewr. zhuh voo za-PORT duh za-dee-SYONA little context goes a long way
In France, service is included by law in restaurant prices, so a tip is optional and usually small; leaving a few coins or rounding up is common. Asking to split the bill is accepted in many places, but some restaurants prefer one payment per table, especially for card payments. It is polite to ask before the bill arrives rather than after.
One thing to watch for
Using 'le billet' for the restaurant bill, or saying 'Je veux l'addition' without a polite formula.
Try this instead: Use 'l'addition' for the restaurant bill and add 's'il vous plaît': 'L'addition, s'il vous plaît.' 'Le billet' means a ticket or banknote, not a restaurant bill.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you ask for the bill politely in a restaurant?
Show a sample answer
L'addition, s'il vous plaît.
This is the standard polite request. You can also say 'Est-ce qu'on peut avoir l'addition, s'il vous plaît ?' for a fuller group request.
2How do you ask whether you can split the bill?
Show a sample answer
Est-ce qu'on peut partager l'addition ?
This asks to divide the total. A valid alternative is 'Est-ce qu'on peut payer séparément ?' if you want separate payments per person.
3The server says 'On ne peut pas séparer.' What does that mean, and what can you do?
Show a sample answer
It means 'We can't split it.' You can pay together and settle among yourselves.
The phrase uses 'on ne peut pas' plus the infinitive. Paying together is a valid response; you can also ask 'On peut faire moitié-moitié ?' if there are two of you.
Ask for the bill with 'L'addition, s'il vous plaît', and ask about splitting with 'Est-ce qu'on peut payer séparément ?' or 'Est-ce qu'on peut partager l'addition ?'. Ask before the bill arrives, and be ready to pay together if the restaurant does not split bills.
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