German · Real conversations
How to say “Could we have separate bills?” in German
Ask whether each diner can pay separately.
Könnten wir getrennt zahlen?
Could we have separate bills?
The local expression may focus on separate payment rather than separate pieces of paper.
Use it in three situations
A meal with friends
Könnten wir getrennt zahlen?
Could we have separate bills?
A work lunch
Könnten wir getrennt bezahlen?
Could we pay separately?
Clarifying payment
Könnten wir die Rechnung auf drei Personen aufteilen?
Could we split the bill between three people?
What to watch for
Check the arrangement before payment rather than assuming every venue can split the bill.
Read the whole expression before replacing a detail. The natural wording may use a different order or construction from the English sentence.
Your turn
Imagine restaurant problems. Say this in German: Could we pay separately?
Reveal a sample reply
Könnten wir getrennt bezahlen?
Could we pay separately?
Build a useful exchange
Explain a problem with an order and settle the bill.
This expression in other languages
A note on speaking German
Use Sie for formal address and du with people you address informally. Könnten Sie …? is a useful polite request. Keep noun capitals and the verb position shown in each complete sentence.
The examples preserve German accents and ß. Read a full sentence before replacing a detail: a subordinate clause can move the verb to the end, and case can change an article or pronoun.
