Ways to say it
| Turkish | IPA |
|---|---|
| fatura | /fɑ.tu.ɾɑ/ |
| hesap | /heˈsap/ |
The term fatura is used for official documents and invoices, such as a commercial invoice or an electricity bill. The term hesap is used in social contexts, such as when referring to a person's total tab or asking for the check at a restaurant or cafe.
What does it mean word for word?
The word hesap literally means "account" or "calculation", which explains why it is used to refer to a restaurant bill.
Which one should you use?
Use fatura when referring to an official document or invoice. Use hesap when asking for the bill at a restaurant or cafe, or when referring to a person's total tab.
How does it change in a sentence?
When the bill is the direct object of a verb like "pay" (ödemek), the form hesap changes to hesabı due to vowel harmony and case marking.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of fatura is /fɑ.tu.ɾɑ/. The /f/ sound is like the [f] in "food", the /u/ sound is like the [oo] in "cool" and the /ɾ/ sound is like the [t] in the American English word "atom".
When do people say it?
The phrase Hesap lütfen is the standard way to ask for the check in a restaurant.
Did you know?
- In Turkish, the word hesap is used in the idiom hesabı kesmek, which literally means 'to cut the bill' but actually means to settle a score or get revenge.
- In some traditional Turkish settings, it is considered a gesture of extreme generosity to insist on paying the hesap for everyone, often leading to a polite 'battle' where both parties refuse to let the other pay.
- The word fatura is a direct linguistic traveler from the Italian word 'fattura', showing how much the Ottoman administration was influenced by Mediterranean commercial terminology.
Examples in context
- O bir hesap ödedi.She paid a bill.Tatoeba #4806784 by deyta, translation #2875754 by Amastan
- Tüm hesap bana kaldı.I got stuck with the whole bill.Tatoeba #8312875 by soliloquist, translation #6663867 by CK
- Faturada bir hata var.There is a mistake in the bill.Tatoeba #930209 by duran, translation #463080 by lukaszpp
- Lütfen, hesabı getirebilir misiniz?Can you bring the bill, please?
- 186 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Can and Merve are at home talking about monthly expenses.
- CanMerve, su faturası geldi mi?Merve, has the water bill arrived?
- MerveEvet Can, mutfak masasında duruyor.Yes Can, it is on the kitchen table.
- CanTamam, hemen ödeyeceğim.Okay, I will pay it immediately.
- MerveTeşekkürler, çok naziksin.Thanks, you are very kind.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bill” translations and entries fatura, hesap, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries fatura, hesap, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
