English speaking lesson · Food & Drink
Splitting the bill
You've finished a meal out with two friends, and it's time to settle up. You practice it as a real conversation, at whichever of the four levels fits you — the room and the steps stay the same, only the words get harder.
The end of a meal with friends · you talk to the waiter
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What you have to do
Ask for the bill, split it the way you want, check a charge on it, and pay with a tip. You finish the lesson by getting there in conversation — not by answering questions about it. The tutor never stops to correct you; the feedback appears beside your own messages, and the completion screen collects it all.
How it opens
Hope you all enjoyed that! Can I get you anything else, or shall I bring the bill over?
Spoken aloud by the tutor playing the waiter.
The 5 steps that finish it
A step clears when you say the thing that clears it. The steps are identical at all four levels — only the example line fades, and at Natural there is none at all.
- 01
Ask for the bill
Say the meal was good, and ask for the bill.
“That was lovely, thanks. Could we have the bill, please?”
- 02
Say how to split it
Say how you'd like the bill split.
“Separate bills, please — between three of us.”
- 03
Ask about a charge
Ask about something on the bill you're not sure about.
“What's this extra here?”
- 04
Check the split
Check the split is right for everyone.
“Yes, that's right. How much each?”
- 05
Pay and tip
Say how you're paying, add a tip if you'd like, and say goodbye.
“By card, please — and here's a tip. Thanks!”
The words, at all four levels
The same room and the same steps, four vocabularies. These are the words the lesson listens for and scores you on — with what each one means and how it sounds when you are talking to the waiter.
Starter
A1 – A2Simple, everyday words with a full hint on every step.
- bill
- the paper showing what you owe
- “Could we have the bill?”
- lovely
- very nice
- “That was lovely, thanks.”
- separate
- not together — one each
- “Separate bills, please.”
- three
- the number 3
- “Between three of us.”
- each
- for every one of us
- “How much each?”
- extra
- an added amount
- “What's this extra?”
- service
- a charge for the waiter's work
- “Is that the service?”
- tip
- extra money you leave for good service
- “Here's a tip.”
- card
- a bank card you pay with
- “By card, please.”
- thanks
- a short way to say thank you
- “Thanks very much!”
Conversational
A2 – B1Common words at a natural pace, with hints to lean on.
- split
- to divide the bill between people
- “Could we split the bill?”
- evenly
- in equal parts
- “Split it evenly, please.”
- separately
- one bill for each person
- “Could we pay separately?”
- charge
- an amount added to your bill
- “What's this charge for?”
- included
- counted as part of something
- “Is service included?”
- cover
- to pay for or include
- “What does that cover?”
- round
- to bring a number to a neat figure
- “Just round it up, please.”
- total
- the full amount to pay
- “What's the total?”
- cheers
- informal thanks
- “Cheers for that!”
- contactless
- tapping a card to pay without a PIN
- “Contactless, please.”
Confident
B1 – B2Richer, more specific words, with only light hints.
- itemised
- listed out item by item
- “Could we get it itemised?”
- discretionary
- optional, left to your judgement
- “Is the service discretionary?”
- gratuity
- a tip added for service
- “Is gratuity included?”
- cover
- a small per-person charge
- “Is there a cover charge?”
- divide
- to split into parts
- “Could you divide it three ways?”
- shares
- the parts each person owes
- “What are the shares?”
- settle
- to pay what's owed
- “We'll settle up now.”
- altogether
- in total — 'how much altogether'
- “How much altogether?”
- receipt
- the printed proof of payment
- “Could I get a receipt?”
- appreciate
- to be grateful for
- “I'd appreciate that.”
Natural
B2 – C1Advanced, idiomatic words — no hints at all.
- tab
- the running bill (informal)
- “Shall we settle the tab?”
- breakdown
- a detailed list of what makes up a total
- “Could we get a breakdown?”
- levy
- a charge added on top
- “Is that a service levy?”
- proportionally
- in fair shares based on what each had
- “Split it proportionally, ideally.”
- chip
- to each contribute money (informal) — 'chip in'
- “We'll all chip in.”
- square
- to settle up fairly between people
- “We'll square it up later.”
- generous
- giving more than expected
- “Leave something generous.”
- damage
- the cost — 'what's the damage?' (informal)
- “What's the damage?”
- tap
- to pay by touching your card
- “We'll each just tap.”
- sorted
- dealt with and settled
- “Great, we're sorted.”
More Food & Drink lessons
- Coffee shop order
- At the bakery
- Food market stall
- Booking a table
- Order at a restaurant
- Dietary requirements
- At the bar
- Ordering a takeaway
- Room service