il conto, per favore
/il ˈkon.to per faˈvo.re/word by word
To say "check please" in Italian, you say il conto, per favore.
This phrase is used to request the bill at the end of a meal in a restaurant. You can use this phrase by simply saying the noun and per favore without needing a full verb like "I want" or "May I have".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase il conto literally means "the account" or "the bill".
How do you pronounce it?
/il ˈkon.to per faˈvo.re/. The phrase has 5 syllables and the stress is on the 2nd syllable.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers might mistakenly use il controllo (which means "the check" in the sense of verification) instead of il conto when asking for the bill.
When do people say it?
If a waiter does not understand you, making a writing motion in the air can be used to indicate the bill.
Did you know?
- In Italy, it is common for the waiter to bring the conto only after you explicitly ask for it, as bringing it prematurely can be seen as rushing the guest.
- In some traditional Italian settings, asking for il conto may lead to a discussion about 'coperto', a standard cover charge for the table setting and bread.
- The Italian word conto shares its Latin root 'computus' with the English word 'compute'.
Examples in context
- Il conto, per favore.The check, please.This sentence shows the basic way to say "The check, please."Tatoeba #4447 by Pharamp, translation #1710 by brauliobezerra
- Cameriere, il conto, per favore.Waiter, the check, please.This sentence shows how to address a waiter when asking for the check.Tatoeba #6276666 by Guybrush88, translation #464324 by lukaszpp
- Posso avere il conto, per favore?May I have the check, please?This sentence shows a polite way to ask "May I have the check, please?" using the form il conto, per favore.Tatoeba #5722797 by Guybrush88, translation #21104 by CK
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Martina and Matteo are finishing their dinner at a restaurant.
- MartinaSiamo pronti, il conto, per favore.We are ready, the check please.
- MatteoCertamente, arrivo subito.Certainly, I'll be right there.
- MartinaGrazie, Matteo paga tutto lui.Thank you, Matteo is paying for everything.
- MatteoPerfetto, glielo porto subito.Perfect, I'll bring it to him immediately.
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.
