De Rekening Delen
Splitting the bill · a free Dutch immersion capsule
Useful sentences · 10
Phrases you'll actually use today. Tap Explain for the why behind each one.
Zullen we de rekening delen?
Shall we split the bill?
Literal Shall we the bill split?
A natural way to propose splitting a bill among a group, using 'zullen' to make a suggestion or proposal.
- 'Zullen we...?' is the standard Dutch structure for making joint proposals, equivalent to 'Shall we...?'
- 'Delen' means 'to split' or 'to share' — used for bills, costs, and tasks alike.
Hoeveel moet ik betalen?
How much do I have to pay?
Literal How much must I pay?
A direct question about your share of the bill, using the modal verb 'moeten' (must/have to) to express obligation.
- 'Hoeveel' = 'how much/many' — used for quantities and prices
- 'Moeten' is a modal verb; in questions the finite verb takes second position: 'Hoeveel moet ik...'
We zijn met z'n vieren, dus dat is vijftien euro per persoon.
There are four of us, so that's fifteen euros per person.
Literal We are with our fours, so that is fifteen euro per person.
Dutch uses the idiomatic phrase 'met z'n [number]en' to describe the size of a group sharing something. Here 'z'n vieren' means 'the four of us together'.
- 'Met z'n vieren' is an idiom meaning 'the four of us' — a uniquely Dutch group-counting expression
- 'Dus' = 'so/therefore' — a simple connector for drawing conclusions from calculations
Kun jij even pinnen? Ik heb geen cash bij me.
Can you pay by card? I don't have any cash on me.
Literal Can you just pin? I have no cash with me.
'Pinnen' is the Dutch verb specifically for paying by debit card — a very common word in daily Dutch life that doesn't have a direct English equivalent.
- 'Pinnen' = to pay by debit card; derived from 'PIN code' — widely used in everyday Dutch speech
- 'Even' softens the request, making it sound casual and polite rather than demanding
- 'Geen... bij me' = 'no... on me' — expressing you don't have something with you
Wil je via Tikkie of liever contant?
Do you want to pay via Tikkie or would you prefer cash?
Literal Want you via Tikkie or rather cash?
Tikkie is the most popular Dutch peer-to-peer payment app. Using it in conversation reflects authentic, modern Dutch social language around splitting costs.
- 'Liever' = 'rather/preferably' — used to express a preference between two options
- 'Wil je...?' = 'Do you want...?' — a very common conversational question opener
Ik betaal nu, dan betaal jij de volgende keer.
I'll pay now, then you'll pay next time.
Literal I pay now, then pay you the next time.
A friendly reciprocal agreement common among Dutch friends who informally keep track of who covers whom, without keeping formal accounts.
- Present tense is used for the future in Dutch: 'ik betaal' = 'I will pay'
- 'De volgende keer' = 'next time' — a fixed phrase worth memorizing
- Subject-verb inversion after 'dan': 'dan betaal jij' (then you pay)
Kunnen we apart afrekenen, alstublieft?
Can we pay separately, please?
Literal Can we apart settle-up, please?
'Afrekenen' means to settle the bill or pay up. 'Apart' here means separately rather than together — useful when each person wants their own bill.
- 'Afrekenen' is a separable verb: 'ik reken af', but stays together as infinitive after a modal: 'kunnen we afrekenen'
- 'Alstublieft' is the formal 'please'; 'alsjeblieft' is informal — both are widely used
Dat klopt precies, dank je wel.
That's exactly right, thank you.
Literal That is correct precisely, thank you.
'Dat klopt' is a very common Dutch phrase meaning 'that's correct' or 'that adds up' — especially natural when confirming a payment amount.
- 'Kloppen' literally means 'to knock/beat' but idiomatically means 'to be correct, to add up'
- 'Dank je wel' is informal thanks; 'dank u wel' is the more formal equivalent
We moeten de fles wijn ook meenemen in de rekening.
We need to include the bottle of wine in the bill too.
Literal We must the bottle wine also take-along in the bill.
'Meenemen' (to take along) is used figuratively here to mean 'to factor in' or 'to include' — a natural Dutch way of saying something should be part of the total.
- 'Moeten' = must/need to — expresses necessity
- 'Meenemen' is a separable verb meaning 'to take along'; used figuratively here to mean 'to include in the calculation'
- 'In de rekening' = 'in the bill/total'
Zou jij alvast kunnen betalen? Dan maak ik mijn deel later over.
Could you pay first? Then I'll transfer my share later.
Literal Would you already-first be-able-to pay? Then make I my part later over.
A polite conditional request using 'zou... kunnen' — asking someone to cover you with a promise to repay by bank transfer. Very common in Dutch social life.
- 'Zou... kunnen' is the Dutch conditional modal: 'would... be able to' — polite and indirect, softer than 'kun jij'
- 'Alvast' = 'already/for now/first' — a useful adverb that adds a sense of 'in the meantime'
- 'Overmaken' = to transfer money; separable verb that splits to 'maak... over'
New words · 10
Themed vocabulary, each with an example you can borrow.
de rekening
the bill / the check
Kunnen we de rekening krijgen?
Can we get the bill?
Used in restaurants, cafés, and any payment context. 'De rekening splitsen' = to split the bill.
delen
to split / to share
Zullen we de kosten delen?
Shall we split the costs?
Also means 'to divide' in math and 'to share' on social media — a very versatile word.
betalen
to pay
Wie betaalt er vanavond?
Who's paying tonight?
The core payment verb. 'Betalen voor' = to pay for something.
pinnen
to pay by debit card
Kan ik hier pinnen?
Can I pay by card here?
Uniquely Dutch — from 'PIN code'. Widely used in everyday speech; no direct English equivalent.
contant
cash / in cash
Ik betaal contant.
I'll pay cash.
'Contant geld' = cash money. Often contrasted with 'pinnen' (card payment).
apart
separately
We willen apart betalen.
We want to pay separately.
Also means 'strange' or 'special' in other contexts — meaning depends on context.
afrekenen
to settle up / to pay the bill
Mogen we afrekenen?
May we settle up?
Separable: 'ik reken af'. Very natural when calling for the bill in a restaurant.
overmaken
to transfer money
Ik maak het morgen over.
I'll transfer it tomorrow.
Separable: 'ik maak over'. Standard verb for bank transfers — essential for splitting costs later.
het deel
the share / the portion
Mijn deel is tien euro.
My share is ten euros.
'Mijn deel' = my share. Essential for saying what each person owes.
Tikkie
Tikkie (Dutch peer-to-peer payment app)
Stuur me maar een Tikkie.
Just send me a Tikkie.
ABN AMRO's P2P payment request app, ubiquitous in the Netherlands. 'Een Tikkie sturen' = to send a payment request link.
Short reading
A tiny story stitched from today's words. Translation is hidden, tap to peek.
Na het eten keek Sara naar haar vrienden en vroeg: 'Zullen we de rekening delen?' Pieter knikte en telde snel: 'We zijn met z'n vieren, dus dat is twintig euro per persoon.' Joost had geen cash bij zich, dus hij vroeg: 'Zou jij alvast kunnen betalen? Dan maak ik mijn deel straks via Tikkie over.' Lisa lachte: 'Prima, dat klopt precies. Jullie de volgende keer!'
Sentence by sentence
Na het eten
After the meal
Temporal prepositional phrase. 'Na' = after; 'het eten' = the food/meal.
Zullen we de rekening delen?
Shall we split the bill?
'Zullen we...?' is the standard Dutch structure for suggesting something as a group — an invitation, not a command.
We zijn met z'n vieren
There are four of us
Idiomatic Dutch group-counting expression. 'Met z'n vieren' = the four of us together. 'Z'n' is informal for 'zijn'.
dus dat is twintig euro per persoon
so that's twenty euros per person
'Dus' = so/therefore — connects the group size to the calculated share. Natural for arithmetic conclusions.
had geen cash bij zich
didn't have any cash on him
'Bij zich hebben' = to have on oneself. 'Zich' is the reflexive pronoun used with hij/zij in this possession structure.
Zou jij alvast kunnen betalen?
Could you pay first?
Polite conditional request with 'zou... kunnen'. More indirect and courteous than the direct 'kun jij betalen?'
Dan maak ik mijn deel straks via Tikkie over.
Then I'll transfer my share shortly via Tikkie.
'Overmaken' splits: 'maak... over'. 'Straks' = in a little while/shortly. Notice the verb moves to the end after 'dan'.
Pattern of the day
One grammar move, explained once, that unlocks dozens of sentences.
Polite Requests with 'Zou... kunnen' (Conditional Modal)
To make polite or indirect requests in Dutch, combine 'zou' (would) with 'kunnen' (can/be able to) and an infinitive at the end. This is the Dutch equivalent of 'Could you...?' It is noticeably softer than the direct 'Kun jij...?' and is essential for asking favors or negotiating payment without sounding blunt.
Zou + [subject] + [adverb] + kunnen + [infinitive]?
Zou jij alvast kunnen betalen?
Could you pay first?
Zou zij het kunnen overmaken?
Could she transfer it?
Zou hij apart kunnen afrekenen?
Could he pay separately?
Zou jij even kunnen pinnen?
Could you just pay by card?
Mini practice · 5
Low-pressure, never graded. Just enough to make it stick.
Zullen we de rekening delen?
Hint Think of 'zullen' as a suggestion word, like 'shall'.
Ik heb geen cash bij me. Kun jij even ___?
Hint This Dutch word means paying by card (debit/PIN).
Can we pay separately, please?
Hint 'Apart' means separately, and 'afrekenen' means to settle the bill.
Rewrite this request using 'Zou... kunnen' to make it more polite: 'Kun jij alvast betalen?'
Hint Replace 'kun' with 'zou' and move 'kunnen' before the main verb.
Your friend says: 'Ik betaal nu, dan betaal jij de volgende keer.' What does this mean?
That’s today’s phraseberry.
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