UNIT 5
Restaurants & Cafes
Restaurants & Cafes
Lesson 5: Paying the Bill
お会計をお願いします — Finishing Your Meal
⏱️ About 25 minutes ／ 📊 Level: Beginner (N5) ／ 🗣️ Speaking + Reading
Before You Start
You’ve eaten — now it’s time to pay. In Japan, the payment process has its own language and customs. In this lesson you’ll learn how to ask for the bill, choose your payment method, get a receipt, and leave the restaurant with the perfect phrase.
What you’ll learn:
- Ask for the bill — お会計をお願いします
- Ask where to pay — レジはどこですか
- Choose a payment method — 現金 / カード / 電子マネー
- Ask for a receipt — レシートをください
- Ask for an official receipt — 領収書をください
- Pay separately or together — 別々 / 一緒でお願いします
- Leave politely — ごちそうさまでした
1. Key Phrases ／ きほんのフレーズ
お会計をお願いします。
Okaikee o onegaishimasu.
The bill, please.
レジはどこですか。
Reji wa doko desu ka.
Where is the register?
現金でお願いします。
Genkin de onegaishimasu.
By cash, please.
カードでお願いします。
Kaado de onegaishimasu.
By card, please.
電子マネーでお願いします。
Denshi manee de onegaishimasu.
By e-money, please.
レシートをください。
Reshiito o kudasai.
Please give me a receipt.
領収書をください。
Ryooshuusho o kudasai.
Please give me an official receipt.
別々でお願いします。
Betsu betsu de onegaishimasu.
Separately, please.
ごちそうさまでした。
Gochisoosama deshita.
Thank you for the meal.
2. Phrase Notes ／ ポイント
① Table payment vs register payment
In Japan, some restaurants bring the bill to your table, while others require you to go to the register (レジ). If unsure, ask レジはどこですか or ここで払いますか (“Do I pay here?”). Izakaya-style restaurants often have table payment; family restaurants and cafes often use the register.
② Payment method — 〇〇でお願いします
The pattern 〇〇でお願いします works for any payment method. If the restaurant is cash only, the staff will say 現金のみです — just have cash ready.
現金でお願いします。By cash.
カードでお願いします。By card.
電子マネーでお願いします。By e-money.
PayPayでお願いします。By PayPay.
③ レシート vs 領収書
レシート = a regular printed receipt (from the machine). 領収書 = an official handwritten or stamped receipt for business expense claims. Most people only need a レシート. If you need 領収書, the staff will ask for the name to write on it.
④ ごちそうさまでした — a cultural staple
This phrase literally means “It was a feast” — used when leaving any meal. Say it to the staff as you leave, even at a convenience store. It’s always appreciated and marks you as someone who respects Japanese dining culture. There’s no equivalent in English; the closest is “Thank you, the food was wonderful.”
⚠️ Common Mistake
Don’t use ごちそうさまでした before eating — it’s always said after a meal. Before eating, the correct phrase is いただきます. These are a pair: いただきます (before) / ごちそうさまでした (after).
Don’t use ごちそうさまでした before eating — it’s always said after a meal. Before eating, the correct phrase is いただきます. These are a pair: いただきます (before) / ごちそうさまでした (after).
3. Payment Words ／ しはらいのことば
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| お会計 | okaikee | bill / payment |
| レジ | reji | register / cashier |
| 現金 | genkin | cash |
| カード | kaado | card |
| 電子マネー | denshi manee | e-money |
| レシート | reshiito | receipt |
| 領収書 | ryooshuusho | official receipt |
| 別々 | betsu betsu | separately |
| 一緒 | issho | together |
| 合計 | gookee | total |
| 現金のみ | genkin nomi | cash only |
4. Conversation Practice ／ かいわ
💬 Conversation 1 — Paying at the Table (Cash)
💬 Conversation 2 — Paying by Card + Receipt
💬 Conversation 3 — Where to Pay
💬 Conversation 4 — Official Receipt
💬 Conversation 5 — Paying Separately
💬 Conversation 6 — Full Payment + Leaving
5. Vocabulary ／ たんご
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| 払います | haraimasu | to pay |
| 使えます | tsukaemasu | can use |
| 使えません | tsukaemasen | cannot use |
| 〜のみ | 〜 nomi | 〜 only |
| 割り勘 | warikan | splitting the bill |
| いただきます | itadakimasu | said before eating |
| ごちそうさまでした | gochisoosama deshita | said after eating / thank you for the meal |
6. Check Your Understanding ／ クイズ
Think about each question first. The answer and explanation are shown below each one.
Q1. How do you say “The bill, please” in Japanese?
A. メニューをお願いします。 B. お箸をお願いします。 C. お会計をお願いします。 D. 水をお願いします。
Answer: C
お会計をお願いします = “The bill, please.” Say すみません first to get the staff’s attention, then this phrase.
お会計をお願いします = “The bill, please.” Say すみません first to get the staff’s attention, then this phrase.
Q2. How do you ask “Where is the register?”
A. レジはいくらですか。 B. レジは何時ですか。 C. レジはどこですか。 D. レジはありますか。
Answer: C
レジはどこですか = “Where is the register?” Use this when you’re unsure whether to pay at your table or elsewhere.
レジはどこですか = “Where is the register?” Use this when you’re unsure whether to pay at your table or elsewhere.
Q3. The staff asks 「お支払いは？」 You want to pay by card. What do you say?
A. 現金でお願いします。 B. カードでお願いします。 C. 電子マネーでお願いします。 D. レシートをください。
Answer: B
カードでお願いします = “By card, please.” Pattern: 〇〇でお願いします for any payment method.
カードでお願いします = “By card, please.” Pattern: 〇〇でお願いします for any payment method.
Q4. What does 「領収書をください。」 mean?
A. Please give me a menu. B. Please give me a receipt. C. Please give me an official receipt. D. Please give me water.
Answer: C
領収書 = official receipt (for expenses/business). レシート = regular printed receipt. Most daily situations only need レシート.
領収書 = official receipt (for expenses/business). レシート = regular printed receipt. Most daily situations only need レシート.
Q5. What does 「別々でお願いします。」 mean?
A. Together, please. B. Separately, please. C. The bill, please. D. By cash, please.
Answer: B
別々 = separately. 一緒でお願いします = “Together, please.” Use 別々 when dining with friends and splitting the bill.
別々 = separately. 一緒でお願いします = “Together, please.” Use 別々 when dining with friends and splitting the bill.
Q6. When do you say 「ごちそうさまでした。」?
A. Before eating. B. When ordering. C. After eating, when leaving. D. When asking for the menu.
Answer: C
ごちそうさまでした = said after eating, when paying or leaving. Before eating, say いただきます. Together they frame every Japanese meal.
ごちそうさまでした = said after eating, when paying or leaving. Before eating, say いただきます. Together they frame every Japanese meal.
7. Match the Meaning ／ れんしゅう
お会計をお願いします。 → ______
レジはどこですか。 → ______
現金でお願いします。 → ______
カードでお願いします。 → ______
レシートをください。 → ______
領収書をください。 → ______
別々でお願いします。 → ______
ごちそうさまでした。 → ______
Choices: A. By card, please. B. Where is the register? C. Please give me a receipt. D. Separately, please. E. The bill, please. F. Thank you for the meal. G. By cash, please. H. Please give me an official receipt.
Answers: お会計をお願いします = E ／ レジはどこですか = B ／ 現金でお願いします = G ／ カードでお願いします = A ／ レシートをください = C ／ 領収書をください = H ／ 別々でお願いします = D ／ ごちそうさまでした = F
🚀 Mini Mission
Today’s mission: Practice the complete payment conversation.
Try this with your teacher, or say it aloud before your next restaurant visit:
お会計をお願いします。／ カードでお願いします。／ レシートをください。／ ごちそうさまでした。
📘 Review ／ まとめ
In this lesson, you learned how to pay the bill in Japanese. The most important phrases are:
お会計をお願いします。(The bill, please.)
カードでお願いします。(By card, please.)
レシートをください。(A receipt, please.)
ごちそうさまでした。(Thank you for the meal.)
カードでお願いします。(By card, please.)
レシートをください。(A receipt, please.)
ごちそうさまでした。(Thank you for the meal.)
💡 Remember: いただきます (before eating) and ごちそうさまでした (after eating) are the most culturally important phrases for dining in Japan.
FAQ
Q. Do most Japanese restaurants accept credit cards?
Card acceptance has improved greatly, but many small local restaurants, izakaya, and ramen shops are still cash only (現金のみ). Before sitting down at a new restaurant, it’s worth checking whether you can see a card logo at the entrance or asking カードは使えますか (“Can I use a card?”).
Q. When do I say ごちそうさまでした — to the staff or to myself?
Both. Japanese people say it both internally (as personal gratitude for the meal) and to the restaurant staff as they leave. Saying it to the staff as you exit is always appreciated and completely natural — it signals respect and courtesy regardless of the restaurant’s level.
Q. What is 割り勘 and how does it work in Japan?
割り勘 (warikan) means splitting the bill equally. It’s very common among friends in Japan — one person isn’t expected to treat the others unless it’s a special occasion. To split evenly, tell the staff 別々でお願いします or let one person pay and settle up later. Some restaurants let you pre-split; others handle each person individually at the register.
🍜 Practice with a real teacher
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