Korean for Beginners: Asking for the Bill and Paying by Card
Learn to say 'The bill, please' and 'Can I pay by card?' in polite Korean, with pronunciation, a short restaurant dialogue, and payment vocabulary.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
This lesson teaches you how to end a meal politely in Korean. You will learn to ask for the bill and ask whether card payment is possible. These are different from ordering food because you are closing the transaction, not choosing dishes. Korean restaurants often have a central counter where you pay on the way out, so you may ask for the bill at the table or simply go to the counter. The key phrases use polite request endings that are safe with staff you do not know. Focus on the two target sentences, then add the useful variations.
By the end, you can…
- ask for the bill politely in Korean.
- ask whether I can pay by card.
- understand a basic answer about payment methods.
- use a polite request ending with restaurant staff.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
계산서 주세요.
The bill, please.
gye-san-seo ju-se-yo
Standard polite way to ask for the bill at a table or counter. '계산서' means bill or check; '주세요' means please give.
카드로 계산할 수 있어요?
Can I pay by card?
ka-deu-ro gye-san-hal su i-sseo-yo?
Use this to ask if card payment is possible. '카드로' means by card; '계산할 수 있어요?' means can I pay.
카드 돼요?
Do you take card?
ka-deu dwae-yo?
Shorter and very common in everyday speech. It literally asks 'Does card work?' Use it casually but still politely.
현금으로 할게요.
I will pay in cash.
hyeon-geum-eu-ro hal-ge-yo
Use this if you decide to pay in cash. '현금' means cash; '으로' marks the means; '할게요' means I will do it.
영수증 주세요.
Please give me a receipt.
yeong-su-jeung ju-se-yo
Use after paying if you need a receipt. '영수증' means receipt.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The polite request pattern is noun + 주세요. 주세요 comes from 주다 (to give) and is a polite request meaning 'please give me.' Examples: 계산서 주세요 (the bill, please), 영수증 주세요 (the receipt, please), 물 주세요 (water, please). You can also use the question pattern verb stem + ㄹ 수 있어요? to ask about possibility. With 계산하다 (to pay), the stem 계산하- plus ㄹ 수 있어요? becomes 계산할 수 있어요? (can I pay?). Adding 카드로 (by card) at the front gives 카드로 계산할 수 있어요? (Can I pay by card?).
When to use it
Use 계산서 주세요 when you are ready to leave and want the bill brought to your table. In many Korean restaurants you instead pay at the counter near the door, so you can simply say 계산서 주세요 there or ask 카드 돼요? (Do you take card?). Use 카드로 계산할 수 있어요? when you want a full polite question. If the answer is no, you might hear 현금만 돼요 (cash only). Then you can say 현금으로 할게요 (I will pay in cash). Keep your tone friendly and add a slight smile; politeness in Korean comes from the verb ending and your delivery.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
저기요, 계산서 주세요.
Excuse me, the bill please.jeo-gi-yo, gye-san-seo ju-se-yo네, 여기 있습니다.
Yes, here it is.ne, yeo-gi it-seum-ni-da카드로 계산할 수 있어요?
Can I pay by card?ka-deu-ro gye-san-hal su i-sseo-yo?네, 카드 돼요. 영수증 필요하세요?
Yes, card is fine. Do you need a receipt?ne, ka-deu dwae-yo. yeong-su-jeung pil-yo-ha-se-yo?A little context goes a long way
In many Korean restaurants, especially casual ones, you pay at the counter on your way out rather than waiting for a bill at the table. Saying 계산서 주세요 is still understood and polite. Tipping is not customary in South Korea, and the price on the menu usually includes tax and service. If you need a receipt for expenses, ask for 영수증 (yeong-su-jeung).
One thing to watch for
Saying 계산서 주세요? with a rising question intonation to mean 'Can I have the bill?' as if it were a yes/no question.
Try this instead: 계산서 주세요 is a polite request, not a yes/no question, so use falling intonation. If you want to ask whether card payment is possible, use a real question: 카드로 계산할 수 있어요? (ka-deu-ro gye-san-hal su i-sseo-yo?).
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'The bill, please' politely in Korean?
Show a sample answer
계산서 주세요.
계산서 means bill and 주세요 is the polite request 'please give me.' This is the standard phrase. You may also hear 계산해 주세요 in some contexts, but 계산서 주세요 is clearest for learners.
2How do you ask 'Can I pay by card?' in polite Korean?
Show a sample answer
카드로 계산할 수 있어요?
카드로 means by card, and 계산할 수 있어요? asks whether payment is possible. A shorter everyday alternative is 카드 돼요? Both are acceptable; the longer form is more explicit.
3What might you say if the server says 현금만 돼요 (cash only)?
Show a sample answer
현금으로 할게요.
This means 'I will pay in cash.' 현금으로 means in cash and 할게요 means I will do it. You could also say 알겠습니다 (I understand) and then pay in cash.
Use 계산서 주세요 to ask for the bill and 카드로 계산할 수 있어요? to ask about card payment; keep your tone polite and remember that many Korean restaurants have you pay at the counter.
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