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How to Say ‘Shall we ask for the bill?’ in French

On demande l'addition ?

on duh-MAHND l' a-dee-SYOHN

[on duh-MAHND l' a-dee-SYOHN]

💬 Usage Tip: On literally means "one", but in everyday speech it means "we". On y va ? "Shall we go?" works the same way.

🇫🇷 In France: In France the waiter won't bring the bill until you ask. Lingering at the table is normal, so someone has to suggest it.

Phrase Breakdown

[on]

Used by a speaker to refer to themself and one or more other people considered together.

Example

On y va maintenant.

We are going now.

demande

[duh-MAHND]

ask

Present form of 'demander' (to ask, request); not 'to demand'.

Example

Je demande l'heure.

I ask the time.

[l']

the

Used before singular when the item is known.

Example

L'homme est là.

The man is there.

addition

[a-dee-SYOHN]

bill, check

In a restaurant, the bill you ask for at the end of the meal.

Example

L'addition, s'il vous plaît.

The bill, please.

Guides for French learners

The Most Common French Verbs: the 20 You'll Actually UseThe 20 most common French verbs, with the present-tense forms you need, real example sentences with native audio, and two shortcuts for past and future.Ordering in French: Cafés, Bakeries and Restaurants (with Menu Vocabulary)How to order in French at a café, a bakery and a restaurant: the phrases, the questions staff ask, and the menu and food vocabulary to understand the answers.

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