First date dinner: Offering to split or pay the bill
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Key Phrases
お会計、半分ずつにしませんか。
o kaikei hanbun zutsu ni shi mase n ka
Why don't we split the bill in half?
僕に払わせてください。
boku ni harawa se te kudasai
Please let me pay.
次は私にごちそうさせてくださいね。
tsugi wa watashi ni go chisou sa se te kudasai ne
Please let me treat you next time.
Skills You'll Learn
Learning expressions to offer or suggest paying after a meal
食事の後に支払いを申し出たり提案したりする表現を学ぶ
shokuji no ato ni shiharai o moushide tari teian shi tari suru hyougen o manabu
Learning how to ask for permission using 'please let me ~'
「〜させてください」を使って許可を求める言い方を学ぶ
sa se te kudasai o tsukatsu te kyoka o motomeru ii kata o manabu
Learning expressions for parting greetings and making future promises
別れ際の挨拶や今後の約束をする表現を学ぶ
wakaregiwa no aisatsu ya kongo no yakusoku o suru hyougen o manabu
Lesson Roleplay
Imagine you're finishing dinner at a restaurant with a friend you invited out. You want to pay the bill and say goodbye.
今日はおいしかったですね。
kyou wa oishikatsu ta desu ne
That was delicious today, wasn't it?
はい、本当に。そろそろ出ましょうか。
hai hontou ni sorosoro de mashou ka
Yes, really. Shall we get going soon?
はい。お会計、半分ずつにしませんか。
hai o kaikei hanbun zutsu ni shi mase n ka
Sure. Why don't we split the bill in half?
いえ、今日は僕に払わせてください。
ie kyou wa boku ni harawa se te kudasai
No, please let me pay today.
え、でも悪いですよ。
e de mo warui desu yo
Oh, but I'd feel bad.
Lesson Vocabulary & Phrases
今日は
kyou wa
Today
💬 Here は is said (wa), not (ha), so 今日は sounds like (kyō wa). It marks today as what you're talking about.
See breakdown →おいしかったですね。
oishikatsu ta desu ne
It was delicious, wasn't it?
💬 To put an い word like おいしい into the past, swap the final い for かった: おいしい → おいしかった. Same with 楽しい → 楽しかった "it was fun".
See breakdown →今日はおいしかったですね。
kyou wa oishikatsu ta desu ne
That was delicious today, wasn't it?
💬 今日は is said (kyō wa), because は marking the topic is read (wa), not (ha).
🇯🇵 Saying this as the meal winds down is a gentle, shared way to signal the evening went well, and it often comes just before someone brings up the bill.
See breakdown →はい、本当に。
hai hontou ni
Yes, really.
そろそろ出ましょうか。
sorosoro de mashou ka
Shall we leave soon?
💬 Change a verb's ending to ましょうか to make a soft "shall we...?" suggestion: 出ます → 出ましょうか. Also 行きましょうか "shall we go?".
See breakdown →お会計
o kaikei
The bill
🇯🇵 To ask for the bill in a restaurant, say お会計お願いします "the bill, please". In many places you take the check to a register by the door rather than paying at the table.
See breakdown →半分ずつ
hanbun zutsu
Half each
💬 ずつ after an amount means "that much for each person": 一つずつ (hitotsu-zutsu) "one each".
See breakdown →お会計、半分ずつにしませんか。
o kaikei hanbun zutsu ni shi mase n ka
Why don't we split the bill in half?
💬 〜にしませんか means "why don't we go with ~?", a polite way to propose a choice: コーヒーにしませんか "shall we have coffee?".
🇯🇵 Splitting the bill, called 割り勘 (warikan) "going Dutch", is common in Japan. Offering it on a first date is considerate, even if the other person may insist on paying.
See breakdown →いえ
ie
No
🇯🇵 いえ is a softer, quicker "no" than いいえ. People often use it to politely brush off an offer or a thank-you, rather than to flatly refuse.
See breakdown →Learn this vocabulary list the easy way
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