How to Ask for the Bill and Split It in Korean at a Restaurant
Learn to say 'Could we have the bill, please?' and 'Can we split it?' in Korean, with a restaurant dialogue and practice for splitting the bill naturally.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
In a Korean restaurant, getting the bill and splitting it is straightforward once you know the right phrases. This lesson gives you two core expressions: one to request the bill and one to ask if you can split it. You will also learn how to ask where to pay and how to specify the number of people. The focus is on restaurant situations, not cafes, where you often pay at the counter before or after eating. By the end, you will be able to handle the payment conversation politely and clearly.
By the end, you can…
- ask for the bill at a Korean restaurant using a polite expression.
- ask whether the bill can be split and specify the number of people.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
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계산서 주세요.
Could we have the bill, please?
gye-san-seo ju-se-yo
Use this after finishing your meal to request the bill. It is polite and works in most restaurants. Note: 계산서 is a Sino-Korean word that literally means 'calculation document'; some restaurants may instead use 영수증 (receipt) for the printed slip.
계산해 주세요.
Please let us pay / Please calculate the bill.
gye-san-hae ju-se-yo
Another common way to ask to pay. Slightly more direct than 계산서 주세요 but still polite. Note: 계산해 주세요 literally means 'please do the calculation/payment', so it can also be used when paying at the counter.
따로 계산할 수 있어요?
Can we split the bill?
tta-ro gye-san-hal su i-sseo-yo?
Use this to ask if separate payments are possible. Literally 'Can we calculate separately?' The pattern -(으)ㄹ 수 있어요? asks about possibility.
따로따로 계산해 주세요.
Please split the bill separately.
tta-ro-tta-ro gye-san-hae ju-se-yo
Use this when you already know splitting is possible and want to request it directly. 따로따로 emphasizes 'each separately'.
세 명이에요.
There are three people.
se myeong-i-e-yo
Use this to tell the staff how many people are splitting the bill. Replace 세 with the correct native Korean number: 한 명, 두 명, 세 명, 네 명, 다섯 명, etc.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The pattern '따로 계산할 수 있어요?' uses the adverb 따로 (separately) plus the verb 계산하다 (to calculate/pay) and the expression -(으)ㄹ 수 있어요? (can you/we?). This asks about possibility. To make a direct request, use '따로 계산해 주세요' (please calculate separately). You can also say '따로따로 계산해 주세요' for emphasis on each person paying separately. For example, if you are three people, you can say '세 명 따로 계산해 주세요' (Please split the bill for three people). Note that 명 is a counter used with native Korean numbers (한 명, 두 명, 세 명...), not with Sino-Korean numbers.
When to use it
Use these phrases at the end of a meal when you are ready to pay. In many Korean restaurants, you call the server by saying '여기요' (yeo-gi-yo) or press a call button. Then you can say '계산서 주세요' or '계산해 주세요'. If you want to split the bill, first ask '따로 계산할 수 있어요?' If the answer is yes, you can say '따로따로 계산해 주세요'. If the answer is no, you may need to pay together and settle among yourselves. Note that some restaurants may not allow splitting, so asking first is polite. In many Korean restaurants you pay at the counter on the way out rather than at the table, so you may hear '카운터에서 계산해 주세요' (Please pay at the counter).
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
저기요, 계산서 주세요.
Excuse me, could we have the bill, please?jeo-gi-yo, gye-san-seo ju-se-yo네, 여기 있습니다. 함께 계산하시겠어요?
Yes, here it is. Would you like to pay together?ne, yeo-gi it-seum-ni-da. ham-kke gye-san-ha-si-get-eo-yo?따로 계산할 수 있어요?
Can we split the bill?tta-ro gye-san-hal su i-sseo-yo?네, 가능합니다. 몇 명이세요?
Yes, that's possible. How many people are you?ne, ga-neung-ham-ni-da. myeot myeong-i-se-yo?A little context goes a long way
In Korea, it is common for one person to pay for the whole group, especially among friends or colleagues, and then settle later. Asking to split the bill is acceptable, but it is polite to ask first rather than assume. The phrase '따로 계산할 수 있어요?' is a polite inquiry. In some traditional restaurants, the server may bring the bill to the table, while in others you pay at the counter. Using '계산서 주세요' works in both cases. Note that in many everyday Korean restaurants you simply go to the counter to pay, so you may not need to ask for the bill at all.
One thing to watch for
Using '따로 계산해 주세요' without first asking if splitting is possible.
Try this instead: It is more polite to ask '따로 계산할 수 있어요?' first. If the answer is yes, then you can say '따로 계산해 주세요'. For example: A: '따로 계산할 수 있어요?' B: '네, 가능합니다.' A: '그럼 따로 계산해 주세요.'
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1You are at a restaurant and want to ask for the bill. What do you say?
Show a sample answer
계산서 주세요.
This is a polite and common way to ask for the bill. You could also say '계산해 주세요', which is equally acceptable.
2You want to ask if you can split the bill. What do you say?
Show a sample answer
따로 계산할 수 있어요?
This asks about the possibility of splitting. Another valid form is '따로 계산 가능해요?' but the pattern with -(으)ㄹ 수 있어요? is more standard for learners.
3There are four people and you want to split the bill. How do you tell the server?
Show a sample answer
네 명 따로 계산해 주세요.
This directly requests separate payments for four people. You could also say '네 명이요, 따로 계산해 주세요.' Both are correct.
Remember two key phrases: '계산서 주세요' for the bill and '따로 계산할 수 있어요?' to ask about splitting. Use them politely and you can handle payment smoothly in Korean restaurants.
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