"Together or separate?" Splitting the bill
Zusammen oder getrennt?
In a German restaurant, the waiter often asks if you pay together or separately, and everyone pays for what they ate.
At the end of a meal you call the waiter and say „Zahlen, bitte!“ or „Die Rechnung, bitte.“
The waiter asks „Zusammen oder getrennt?“. "Getrennt" (separately) is very normal, even among friends and colleagues. Each person says what they had.
If someone says „Ich lade dich ein“, it means "I am paying for you". Otherwise, expect to pay for yourself, even on a date.
You usually pay at the table, not at a counter.
You may hear
Getrennt, bitte.Separately, please.
India and Germany
In India one person often pays for everyone, and fighting for the bill is part of the fun. In Germany paying for yourself is not rude at all.
German words for this
- die Rechnung · the bill
- zahlen · to pay
- zusammen · together
- getrennt · separately
- einladen · to invite, to pay for someone
This is a custom, not a rule: families and regions differ.
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