je voudrais payer
The English phrase "I would like to pay" is translated into French as je voudrais payer.
This phrase is a polite way to inform a server or a cashier that you are ready to pay for your purchase. While je voudrais payer is grammatically correct, it is very common in restaurants to simply say L'addition, s'il vous plaît (The bill, please) to ask for the check. If you want to specify your method of payment, you can say par carte de crédit or simply par carte for "by card". To say "in cash", you can use en liquide or the common alternative en espèces.
Which one should you use?
The phrase je voudrais payer is much more polite than je veux payer, which means "I want to pay." Using the latter can sound blunt and demanding to French speakers.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the conditional form of the verb vouloir (to want) to express a polite request.
Did you know?
- The verb payer shares a surprising ancestor with the word 'pacify'. It comes from the Latin pacāre, suggesting that to pay was originally to 'make peace' or settle a dispute.
- In France, it is common for a server to never bring the bill until you explicitly ask for it. Unlike in some English-speaking cultures, bringing the check without a request can be seen as pushing the guest to leave.
- Although je voudrais payer is polite, in very casual settings, French speakers often use a simple hand gesture of writing in the air to signal L'addition, s'il vous plaît without saying a word.
Examples in context
- Je voudrais payer s'il vous plaît.I would like to pay, please.This sentence shows how to add a polite request using je voudrais payer.Tatoeba #6723202 by felix63, translation #6724756 by Eccles17
- Je voudrais payer par carte de crédit.I would like to pay with a credit card.This sentence demonstrates how to specify a credit card as a payment method with je voudrais payer.Tatoeba #840822 by sacredceltic, translation #840814 by Eldad
- Je voudrais payer en liquide. Est-ce que le petit-déjeuner est inclus dans le prix ?I would like to pay with cash. Is breakfast included in the price?This sentence illustrates using je voudrais payer to pay with cash while asking about breakfast inclusions.Tatoeba #473698 by mamat, translation #455809 by lukaszpp
Example conversation
At a small cafe in Paris.
- NathanJe voudrais payer l'addition, s'il vous plaît.I would like to pay the bill, please.
- ChloéBien sûr, Monsieur.Of course, sir.
- NathanEst-ce que je peux payer par carte ?Can I pay by card?
- ChloéOui, tout à fait.Yes, absolutely.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries je, payer, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
