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How to Say ‘Keep the change.’ in Italian

Tenga il resto.

TEN-gah eel REHS-toh

[TEN-gah eel REHS-toh]

💬 Usage Tip: Tenga is the polite form used with Lei. With someone you know well, it would be tieni.

🇮🇹 In Italy: Saying tenga il resto is natural with taxi drivers, delivery riders, or at a café. In a full-service restaurant, people more often just leave a small tip rather than saying it out loud.

Phrase Breakdown

Tenga

[TEN-gah]

keep

Formal imperative of 'tenere' (to keep/hold), used politely with Lei.

Example

Tenga la ricevuta, per favore.

Keep the receipt, please.

[eel]

the

Masculine singular definite article used before a masculine singular noun.

Example

Nella frase Il tempo personale, Il introduce il concetto di tempo privato.

In the phrase 'Il tempo personale,' 'Il' introduces the concept of private time.

resto

[REHS-toh]

change; rest

The money given back after paying; also 'the remainder'.

Example

Ecco il resto, signore.

Here is your change, sir.

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