Splitting the Bill
Splitting the bill · a free Spanish immersion capsule
Useful sentences · 10
Phrases you'll actually use today. Tap Explain for the why behind each one.
¿Pedimos la cuenta o la dividimos entre todos?
Should we ask for the bill or split it among everyone?
A natural way to suggest splitting the bill at a restaurant using present tense as a question.
- 'Pedimos' is first person plural present used as a suggestion question.
- 'Entre todos' means 'among everyone/all of us'.
¿Cuánto me toca pagar a mí?
How much do I have to pay?
'Tocar' here means 'to be one's share' — a very natural colloquial expression for asking your portion of a bill.
- 'Me toca' = 'it falls to me' / 'my share is'; the grammatical subject of 'tocar' is the implied amount, not the speaker.
- 'A mí' is the emphatic form of the indirect object pronoun 'me', stressing that it is the speaker whose share is being asked about, not a grammatical subject marker.
Yo invito esta vez, tú pagas la próxima.
I'll treat this time, you pay next.
'Invitar' in this context means to treat someone or pay for them — a generous social gesture.
- 'Esta vez' = 'this time'
- 'La próxima' = 'the next one/time' (implied 'vez').
Podríamos dividir la cuenta entre cuatro personas.
We could split the bill among four people.
Uses the conditional 'podríamos' for a polite, non-imposing suggestion.
- 'Podríamos' is the conditional of 'poder' (to be able to).
- 'Dividir entre' = 'to divide among'.
¿Cuánto te debo por el taxi?
How much do I owe you for the taxi?
A direct question used when settling shared transport costs between friends.
- 'Te debo' = 'I owe you' — 'deber' here means 'to owe'.
- 'Por' indicates the reason or exchange context.
No te preocupes, ya lo arreglamos después.
Don't worry, we'll sort it out later.
'Arreglar' colloquially means to sort out or settle up — used to keep things relaxed.
- 'No te preocupes' is the negative imperative of 'preocuparse'.
- 'Ya lo arreglamos' uses present tense with a future meaning.
Está bien, de acuerdo, pagamos a partes iguales.
Okay, agreed, we'll pay in equal parts.
Common agreement phrases followed by the proposed equal-split arrangement.
- 'Está bien' and 'de acuerdo' are both ways to say 'okay/agreed'.
- 'A partes iguales' = 'in equal parts/shares'.
¿Aceptan tarjeta o solo efectivo?
Do they accept card or only cash?
Practical question when figuring out how to pay at the end of a meal.
- 'Aceptan' is third person plural, referring to the establishment.
- 'Tarjeta' = card; 'efectivo' = cash.
Te mando el dinero por transferencia ahora mismo.
I'll send you the money by transfer right now.
Common way to settle debts digitally among friends — natural and immediate.
- 'Te mando' = 'I'll send you' — present tense with future meaning.
- 'Ahora mismo' = 'right now'.
Sin problema, todos ponemos lo nuestro y listo.
No problem, everyone chips in their share and that's it.
A casual, friendly way to wrap up splitting expenses with a group.
- 'Ponemos lo nuestro' = 'we put in what's ours'.
- 'Listo' at the end means 'done/sorted'.
New words · 10
Themed vocabulary, each with an example you can borrow.
la cuenta
the bill / the check
¿Me trae la cuenta, por favor?
Can you bring me the bill, please?
dividir
to divide / to split
Vamos a dividir la cuenta entre todos.
Let's split the bill among everyone.
deber
to owe
¿Cuánto te debo?
How much do I owe you?
Also means 'must/should' depending on context.
el efectivo
cash
Solo aceptan efectivo aquí.
They only accept cash here.
invitar
to treat / to pay for someone
Hoy yo invito.
Today I'm treating.
In social contexts, 'invitar' means to pay for someone else.
la tarjeta
the card
¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?
Can I pay by card?
la transferencia
bank transfer
Te mando el dinero por transferencia.
I'll send you the money by transfer.
tocarle a uno
to be one's turn / share
¿Cuánto me toca pagar?
How much is my share to pay?
a partes iguales
in equal parts / equally
Vamos a pagar a partes iguales.
We're going to pay equally.
de acuerdo
agreed / okay
De acuerdo, yo pago esta vez.
Agreed, I'll pay this time.
Short reading
A tiny story stitched from today's words. Translation is hidden, tap to peek.
Después de cenar en un restaurante mexicano, los amigos piden la cuenta. María dice: '¿La dividimos entre cuatro?' Carlos responde: 'De acuerdo, ¿cuánto nos toca a cada uno?' El mesero les dice que aceptan tarjeta y efectivo. Al final, todos ponen su parte y salen contentos.
Sentence by sentence
piden la cuenta
they ask for the bill
'Pedir la cuenta' is the standard phrase to request the check at a restaurant.
¿La dividimos entre cuatro?
Shall we split it between four?
Present tense used as a suggestion question — a very natural Spanish pattern.
¿cuánto nos toca a cada uno?
how much does each of us owe?
'Tocarle a uno' expresses one's share; 'a cada uno' = 'to each one'.
todos ponen su parte
everyone puts in their share
'Poner su parte' = to contribute one's portion; a colloquial splitting expression.
Pattern of the day
One grammar move, explained once, that unlocks dozens of sentences.
Asking What Someone Owes: ¿Cuánto te debo? / ¿Cuánto me toca?
Two common patterns for settling up: 'deber' (to owe) for direct debt questions, and 'tocarle a uno' (to be one's share) for asking about your portion of a shared cost.
¿Cuánto + te/me + debo/toca + [pagar/por algo]?
¿Cuánto te debo por la cena?
How much do I owe you for dinner?
¿Cuánto me toca pagar a mí?
How much do I have to pay — what's my share?
¿Cuánto nos toca a cada uno?
How much does each of us owe?
¿Cuánto te debo por el taxi?
How much do I owe you for the taxi?
Mini practice · 5
Low-pressure, never graded. Just enough to make it stick.
How much do I owe you?
Hint Use the key phrase from the lesson for asking what someone owes
Podríamos _____ la cuenta entre cuatro personas.
Hint This verb means 'to split' or 'to divide'
¿Cuánto me toca pagar a mí?
Hint 'Tocarle' is an indirect object verb meaning 'to be someone's turn or share'
What's the best way to say you'll split the bill equally?
Your friend says 'No te preocupes, ya lo arreglamos después.' Rewrite this as your reply, using 'de acuerdo' to accept their suggestion and add that you will split it equally.
Hint Use 'de acuerdo' to agree, then replace the original with a sentence about splitting the bill equally.
That’s today’s phraseberry.
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