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How to Say ‘Excuse me, we'd like to pay, please!’ in German

Entschuldigung, wir möchten zahlen, bitte!

ent-SHOOL-dee-goong veer MURKH-ten TSAH-len BIT-eh

[ent-SHOOL-dee-goong veer MURKH-ten TSAH-len BIT-eh]

🇩🇪 In Germany: In Germany the bill rarely comes on its own. You catch the server's eye and ask for it, and they usually settle it right at the table.

Phrase Breakdown

Entschuldigung,

ent-SHOOL-dee-goong

Excuse me,

Use this to politely get a waiter's attention. Say it 'ent-SHOOL-di-goong', with the stress on 'SCHUL'.

Example

Entschuldigung, wo ist die Toilette?

Excuse me, where is the restroom?

Words in this phrase

Entschuldigung

[ent-SHOOL-dee-goong]

excuse me / sorry

Used to get attention politely or to apologize for a small mistake.

Example

Entschuldigung, wo ist der Bahnhof?

Excuse me, where is the train station?

wir möchten zahlen, bitte!

veer MURKH-ten TSAH-len BIT-eh

we would like to pay, please!

'Bitte' (please) makes the request polite. The 'z' in 'zahlen' sounds like 'ts', and 'bitte' sounds like 'BIT-teh'.

Example

Wir möchten bestellen, bitte!

We would like to order, please!

Words in this phrase

wir

[veer]

Pronoun for a group including the speaker.

Example

Wir arbeiten gern zusammen.

We like working together.

möchten

[MURKH-ten]

would like

Polite form of 'mögen', used to express wishes or offer choices.

Example

Möchten Sie einen Platz mit Blick aufs Meer?

Would you like a seat with a view of the sea?

zahlen

[TSAH-len]

to pay

Verb used for paying money, e.g. in shops or restaurants.

Example

Wir möchten bitte zahlen.

We would like to pay, please.

bitte

[BIT-eh]

please

Polite word for requests.

Example

Einen Moment, bitte.

One moment, please.

Guides for German learners

Duolingo vs Pimsleur: Tapping on a Screen or Talking Out Loud?Duolingo vs Pimsleur: five minutes of tapping versus thirty minutes of speaking. What each is good at, what each costs, and which to pick for your goal.

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