Which one should you use?
There are several ways to express this request depending on the level of detail. L'addition, s'il vous plaît is the most common noun phrase. For a more complete sentence, you can use Je voudrais l'addition, s'il vous plaît, which means 'I would like the bill, please'. For more formal requests, you can use Puis-je avoir l'addition, s'il vous plaît? ('Can I have the bill, please?') or Pourriez-vous me donner l'addition, s'il vous plaît? ('Could you give me the bill, please?').
When do people say it?
In French culture, it is common to use a writing motion with your hand in the air to request the bill. In many French restaurants, it is considered polite to wait for the server to bring the bill rather than asking for it immediately after finishing the meal, as they do not want to rush the customer.
Did you know?
- The word addition refers to the mathematical process of adding things together, which is why the bill is literally called 'the addition'.
- Unlike in the US, where the bill is often brought automatically, in France you almost always have to explicitly ask for l'addition.
- The word vous in s'il vous plaît is a cognate of the Italian word voi and the Russian word вы.
Examples in context
- Est-ce que je peux avoir l'addition, s'il vous plaît ?Can I have the bill, please?
- Nous voudrions l'addition, s'il vous plaît.We would like the bill, please.
Example conversation
At a small cafe after a lunch.
- HugoL'addition, s'il vous plaît.The bill, please.
- LéaBien sûr, Monsieur.Of course, sir.
- HugoEst-ce que vous acceptez la carte ?Do you accept cards?
- LéaOui, tout à fait.Yes, absolutely.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries vous, CC BY-SA 4.0.
