买单
mǎidān
The English phrase "pay the bill" is translated into Chinese as 买单 (mǎidān).
买单 is used to give money for a meal or service at a restaurant or business. In many Chinese restaurants, you can use 买单 as a direct command or request to a waiter to signal that you are ready to pay.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the verb 买 (mǎi), meaning 'to buy' and the noun 单 (dān), meaning 'bill' or 'list'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
买单 is an informal way to say "pay the bill" and is very common in casual dining. For a more formal tone, you can use 结账 to say "to settle the account" or "to check out". Additionally, 请结账 can be used to mean "please settle the bill" and 请帮我付账 can be used to mean "please help me pay the bill".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Taiwan and Singapore, the informal phrase 买单 is widely used. In Mainland China, people often use the phrase 付账 to mean "pay the bill" informally.
How do you pronounce it?
mǎidān
Did you know?
- If you want to be extremely polite when calling a waiter to pay, you might use the term 先生 (xiānsheng) or 美女 (měinǚ) as a respectful address before asking to 买单.
- When dining in a group, it is a common cultural custom for guests to 'fight' over who gets to 买单. This competitive generosity is seen as a sign of respect and friendship.
- In many restaurants, instead of shouting 买单, you can simply make a writing motion in the air with your hand to signal the waiter to bring the bill.
Examples in context
- 在餐厅结账的时候，请用中文说 "请结账"。When paying at a restaurant, please say "请结账" in Chinese.
- 别担心，我来买单。Don't worry, I'll pay the bill.
- 收好发票，我们去结账吧。Keep the receipt, let's go pay the bill.
- 我来买单，请你下次再请客。I'll pay the bill, you can treat me next time.
- 我们去买单吧。wǒ men qù mǎi dān ba.Let's go pay the bill.
- 今天我来买单。jīn tiān wǒ lái mǎi dān.I will pay the bill today.
Example conversation
Wei and Zihan have finished their lunch at a cafe.
- 伟 Wei梓涵，你想什么时候买单？zǐ hán, nǐ xiǎng shén me shí hou mǎi dān?Zihan, when do you want to pay the bill?
- 梓涵 Zihan现在就可以买单了。xiàn zài jiù kě yǐ mǎi dān le.We can pay the bill now.
- 伟 Wei那我来买单吧。nà wǒ lái mǎi dān ba.Then let me pay the bill.
- 梓涵 Zihan伟，谢谢你。wěi, xiè xie nǐ.Wei, thank you.
