il conto, per favore
/il ˈkon.to per faˈvo.re/word by word
The phrase "bill please" in Italian is il conto, per favore.
il conto, per favore is the standard, polite way to ask for the check in a restaurant or cafe.
What does it mean word for word?
il conto literally means "the account".
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /il ˈkon.to per faˈvo.re/. It has 5 syllables and the stress is on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- In many Italian restaurants, it is considered rude for a waiter to bring il conto before you ask for it. Doing so can imply that the staff is rushing you out of the restaurant.
- In an Italian restaurant, you can often avoid the full phrase by simply making a writing motion in the air with your hand to signal you are ready to pay.
- In Italy, il conto is almost always split manually at the table. It is much less common for waiters to divide a bill into separate charges by person as they do in the US.
Examples in context
- Il conto, per favore.The bill, please.This sentence shows the basic way to say "The bill, please.".Tatoeba #4447 by Pharamp, translation #462578 by lukaszpp
- Dammi il conto, per favore.Give me the bill, please.This sentence demonstrates the phrase used in the context of "Give me the bill, please.".Tatoeba #2995433 by Guybrush88, translation #21103 by CK
- Può portarci il conto, per favore?Could you bring us the bill, please?This sentence provides a way to ask "Could you bring us the bill, please?" using the phrase il conto, per favore.Tatoeba #984139 by Guybrush88, translation #984114 by CM
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Martina and Matteo are finishing their lunch at a cafe.
- MartinaSono sazia, è stato tutto ottimo.I'm full, everything was great.
- MatteoAnche per me. Chiamo il cameriere.Me too. I'll call the waiter.
- MartinaSì, chiedi il conto, per favore.Yes, ask for the bill, please.
- MatteoCerto, lo faccio subito.Sure, I'll do it right away.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (il, conto, per, favore) and can differ in connected speech.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
