účet, prosím
[ˈuːt͡ʃɛt ˈprosiːm]word by word
The English phrase "check please" is translated into Czech as účet, prosím.
You use this phrase to request the bill at the end of a meal in a restaurant. While účet, prosím is a standard way to ask, you can also use the verb zaplatit (to pay) to make your request or use the very common and natural phrase zaplatíme, prosím, which means "we will pay, please", to signal to a waiter that you are ready to pay.
What does it mean word for word?
The word účet literally means "account" or "bill".
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase účet, prosím is a request based on a noun, but you can also use the verb zaplatit (to pay) to form your request.
Did you know?
- When asking for the účet, Czechs often make a writing gesture in the air with their hand to signal they want the bill.
- The word účet comes from the verb číst, which means 'to read'. This implies that a bill was originally seen as a 'reading' or a list of items to be read through.
- Czech culture generally avoids 'tipping by percentage' in the way Americans do, often simply rounding up the účet to the nearest ten or hundred crowns.
Examples in context
- Účet, prosím.The check, please.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase účet, prosím.Tatoeba #4923223 by aldar, translation #1710 by brauliobezerra
- Můžete mi, prosím, přinést účet?Could you bring me the bill, please?
- Můžu dostat, prosím, účet?Can I get the bill, please?
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucie and Jakub are finishing their lunch at a small cafe.
- LucieBylo to moc dobré jídlo.The food was very good.
- JakubSouhlasím. Já zaplatím.I agree. I will pay.
- LucieÚčet, prosím!Check, please!
- JakubUž jdou k nám.They are coming to us now.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (účet, prosím) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries účet, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
