La cuenta, por favor
/la ˈkwenta poɾ faˈboɾ/word by word
La cuenta, por favor is the Spanish way to say cheque please.
Use La cuenta, por favor when you want to pay for your meal at a restaurant or cafe. In this context, la cuenta means 'the bill'.
Which one should you use?
While English speakers say 'check please' to mean the bill, in Spanish El cheque, por favor specifically asks for a physical bank check, whereas La cuenta, por favor is the standard way to ask for the bill in a restaurant.
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, it is common to signal for the bill by making a writing motion in the air with your hand.
- The word cuenta comes from the verb contar, which means both 'to count' and 'to tell a story'.
- While la cuenta means 'the bill' in a restaurant, it is also the word used for a 'bank account' in a financial context.
Examples in context
- Perdone, ¿me puede traer el cheque, por favor?Excuse me, could you bring me the check, please?
- ¿Puede traerme la cuenta, por favor?Can you bring me the bill, please?
- Disculpe, ¿nos trae el cheque, por favor?Excuse me, could you bring us the bill, please?
- Perdone, la cuenta, por favor.Excuse me, the check, please.
- Cuando pueda, la cuenta, por favor.The check, please, when you can.
Example conversation
Sofía and Javier are finishing a meal at a restaurant.
- SofíaTodo estaba delicioso, Javier.Everything was delicious, Javier.
- JavierSí, fue una buena cena.Yes, it was a good dinner.
- SofíaLa cuenta, por favor.The check, please.
- JavierYo la pago hoy.I will pay for it today.
