Latest / Learn Spanish with Fexingo / Spanish at the Restaurant - Asking for the Bill
Transcript
- Lucas: Hey Luna, welcome back to Learn Spanish with Fexingo. Episode 149 — can you believe it? Luna: Wow, almost 150! That's a lot of Spanish. What are we learning today? Lucas: Something super useful for eating out — asking for the bill at a restaurant. Luna: Oh yes! I always want to say it right so I don't just sit there waiting forever. Lucas: Exactly. So, the most common phrase is 'La cuenta, por favor.' Luna: La cuenta, por favor. Lucas: Perfect. 'La cuenta' means 'the bill' or 'the check'. Luna: La cuenta. So simple. And 'por favor' we already know. Lucas: Right. You can also say '¿Me trae la cuenta?' which means 'Can you bring me the bill?' Luna: '¿Me trae la cuenta?' That sounds a bit more polite, like a full question. Lucas: Yeah. 'Traer' is 'to bring'. So '¿Me trae la cuenta?' literally 'Do you bring me the bill?' Luna: Got it. So I can use either. 'La cuenta, por favor' or '¿Me trae la cuenta?' Lucas: Exactly. Now after they bring the bill, you might want to ask '¿Cuánto es?' — 'How much is it?' Luna: '¿Cuánto es?' That's like 'How much is it?' We've seen 'cuánto' before. Lucas: Yes, 'cuánto' for 'how much'. And 'es' is 'is'. So '¿Cuánto es?' Luna: And then when you pay, you say 'Aquí tiene' — 'Here you go.' Lucas: Right. 'Aquí tiene' literally 'Here you have'. Handing over the money or card. Luna: And of course 'Gracias' at the end. Lucas: Always. So let's do a little scene. I'm the waiter, you're the customer. You've finished your meal. Luna: Okay. Um, 'La cuenta, por favor.' Lucas: Sí, señorita. Aquí tiene. Luna: '¿Cuánto es?' Lucas: Son quince euros. Luna: Aquí tiene. Gracias. Lucas: Perfect! You did it naturally. That's the whole exchange. Luna: I love that. Now I won't be shy about asking. Lucas: And if Fexingo has been helping you make progress with Spanish, you know what? A handful of listeners chip in monthly through buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo, and that's what funds making this many episodes. Luna: Yeah, it keeps the show ad-free and going strong. We really appreciate that. Lucas: So back to the restaurant — what if you want to say 'Could I have the bill, please?' in a fancier way? You can say '¿Podría traerme la cuenta, por favor?' Luna: '¿Podría traerme la cuenta, por favor?' That's longer but sounds very polite. Lucas: Right. 'Podría' is 'could'. So it's like 'Could you bring me the bill?' Luna: Good to know. I'll stick with 'La cuenta, por favor' for now. Lucas: That works perfectly. Let's repeat all the phrases one more time. 'La cuenta, por favor.' Luna: 'La cuenta, por favor.' Lucas: '¿Me trae la cuenta?' Luna: '¿Me trae la cuenta?' Lucas: '¿Cuánto es?' Luna: '¿Cuánto es?' Lucas: 'Aquí tiene.' Luna: 'Aquí tiene.' Lucas: And 'Gracias.' Luna: Gracias. Lucas: Great job. Now you're ready to handle the bill at any Spanish-speaking restaurant. Luna: I feel so prepared. Thanks Lucas. Lucas: You're welcome. Keep practicing these, and next time you're out, you'll use them without thinking. Luna: Will do. See you next episode! Lucas: See you then. Happy learning!