SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/es-la-cuenta

How do you ask a waiter for the check?

La cuenta, por favor asks for the check.

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  1. El menú, por favor
  2. La llave, por favor
  3. La cuenta, por favor ✔

Why: Cuenta means bill or check. Add por favor to be polite, or ask ¿Me trae la cuenta, por favor? To get the waiter's attention, say Disculpe or Perdón.

Huh, didn't know that: FSI's old dialogue calls '¡Mozo! La cuenta.' Mozo still means waiter in parts of South America, but shouting it now sounds rude.

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Q: Waiter, this food tastes kind of funny? A: Then why aren't you laughing!
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References

Answer: La cuenta, por favor. Cuenta means bill or check. Add por favor to be polite, or ask ¿Me trae la cuenta, por favor? To get the waiter's attention, say Disculpe or Perdón.

  1. FSI Spanish Basic Course, Volume 1 Student Text (US government, public domain) fsi-language-courses-media.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/languages/Spanish/Basic/Volume%201/Fsi-SpanishBasicCourse-Volume1-StudentText.pdf
    the check, the bill la cuenta
    Checked 2026-10-10.
  2. FSI Spanish Basic Course, Volume 1 Student Text (US government, public domain) fsi-language-courses-media.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/languages/Spanish/Basic/Volume%201/Fsi-SpanishBasicCourse-Volume1-StudentText.pdf
    Waiter! the check. ¡Mozo! La cuenta.
    Checked 2026-10-10.
  3. Wiktionary: mozo (secondary check) en.wiktionary.org/wiki/mozo
    (Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru) waiter, server
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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