tính tiền
[tïŋ˧˦ tiən˨˩]
The English phrase "bill please" is translated into Vietnamese as tính tiền.
You use tính tiền when you want to request the check or the bill at a restaurant or cafe.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase tính tiền literally means "to calculate money."
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Using just tính tiền without a polite particle or a pronoun can sound blunt or slightly rude in a service setting. For a formal approach, you can use Xin vui lòng tính tiền, which means "Please calculate the bill." In very informal situations, you might say Lấy hóa đơn cho tớ nhé, meaning "Get the bill for me, please."
How does it change in a sentence?
To sound natural and polite when calling a server, you should add a pronoun before tính tiền, such as Em ơi, tính tiền! (Hey [younger person], bill please!).
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using just tính tiền by itself, as it may sound blunt.
Did you know?
- While tính tiền is the standard request, it is common to see customers signal a server by lightly tapping the table or making a writing gesture in the air.
- Using Em ơi before tính tiền is not just a polite addition but a social necessity, as addressing a server without a kinship term can be perceived as cold or arrogant.
- The word tiền for 'money' is a Sino-Vietnamese loanword derived from the Chinese character 錢, which originally referred to a specific weight of currency.
Examples in context
- Làm ơn tính tiền.The bill, please.This sentence shows how to use tính tiền to ask for the bill politely.Tatoeba #510362 by autuno, translation #462578 by lukaszpp
- Em ơi, tính tiền!Excuse me, check please!
Example conversation
Hùng and Hương are finishing their meal at a small cafe.
- HùngHương ơi, mình tính tiền nhé.Hương, let's settle the bill.
- HươngVâng, để em gọi tính tiền.Okay, let me call for the bill.
- HùngEm ơi, tính tiền giúp anh!Excuse me, please give us the bill!
- HươngDạ, có ngay ạ.Yes, coming right up.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry tính tiền, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tiền, tính, tính tiền, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
