Spanish · Food & Drink

"Bill (check)" in Spanish: cuenta

la cuenta

Say it: KWEN-tahfeminine · la cuentanoun/ˈkwen.ta/

The bill or check is la cuenta (KWEN-tah), a feminine noun: la cuenta, por favor. At the end of a meal you ask for la cuenta, not an English "bill".

After dessert

La cuenta, por favor.
The check, please.
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How to pronounce cuenta

Say it

KWEN-tah

/ˈkwen.ta/

KWEN-tah, stress on KWEN. The ue is one syllable. Hard k starts cuenta.

"Bill (check)" in Spanish: quick reference

SpanishEnglish
la cuentathe bill; the check

What you ask for after eating.

la cuenta, por favorthe check, please

Standard polite request.

separar la cuentato split the bill

Ask to pay separately.

pagar la cuentato pay the bill

Settling up.

How to use cuenta in real life

  1. 1After dessert

    La cuenta, por favor.

    The check, please.

    Short classic ask for la cuenta.

  2. 2Splitting payment

    ¿Pueden separar la cuenta?

    Can you split the bill?

    Separar la cuenta helps when paying apart.

  3. 3Checking the total

    Creo que la cuenta está mal.

    I think the bill is wrong.

    Calm way to question la cuenta.

Mistakes English speakers make with cuenta

Incorrect: El cuenta, por favor.

Correct: La cuenta, por favor.

Cuenta is feminine: la cuenta.

Incorrect: Tráigame el bill.

Correct: Tráigame la cuenta.

Restaurant Spanish uses cuenta, not English bill.

Good to know

La cuenta is the restaurant check. Cuenta also means a bank account, so context matters. A simple la cuenta, por favor works almost everywhere.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Finishing lunch and paying

  1. ChatPal

    ¿Pedimos ya la cuenta?

    Shall we ask for the check already?

  2. You

    Sí. La cuenta, por favor.

    Yes. The check, please.

  3. ChatPal

    ¿Pagamos juntos la cuenta?

    Shall we pay the bill together?

  4. You

    Mejor la separamos.

    Better if we split it.

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"Bill (check)" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Bill (check)" in Spanish

Is cuenta masculine or feminine?

Feminine: la cuenta, una cuenta larga.

How do I ask for the check?

La cuenta, por favor.

How do I split the bill?

¿Pueden separar la cuenta?

Does cuenta only mean the restaurant bill?

No. Cuenta also means account. At the table it means the check.

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