To ask for the bill in Korean, say 계산해 주세요 (gyesanhae juseyo), "please work out the bill". In many Korean restaurants, though, you don't wait at the table: take the order slip to the counter and say 계산할게요 (gyesanhalgeyo), "I'd like to pay". To call staff over first, say 여기요 (yeogiyo). Tipping is not expected.
- The bill, please
- 계산해 주세요 (gyesanhae juseyo)
- At the counter
- 계산할게요 (gyesanhalgeyo)
- Calling staff
- 여기요 (yeogiyo), 저기요 (jeogiyo)
- Separately
- 따로 계산해 주세요 (ttaro gyesanhae juseyo)
- Tipping
- Not expected
- Level
- A1
Do you pay at the table or the counter in Korea?
In most casual restaurants and cafés, at the counter. Staff often leave the order slip on your table, and when you are ready you carry it to the till, the 계산대 (gyesandae), on your way out. Some bars and more formal restaurants bring the bill to the table, which is when 계산해 주세요 comes in.
| Korean | Romanization | Where | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 계산해 주세요 | gyesanhae juseyo | At the table | The bill, please |
| 계산할게요 | gyesanhalgeyo | At the counter | I'd like to pay |
| 계산서 주세요 | gyesanseo juseyo | At the table | Could I have the bill (the paper)? |
| 여기 계산이요 | yeogi gyesaniyo | Busy places | The bill, over here |
| 카드로 할게요 | kadeuro halgeyo | At the till | By card, please |
| 영수증 주세요 | yeongsujeung juseyo | At the till | A receipt, please |
계산 (gyesan) means calculation; in shops and restaurants it simply means paying.
How do you call a waiter in Korea?
Raise a hand and say 여기요 (yeogiyo), "over here", or 저기요 (jeogiyo), "excuse me". Many restaurants also have a call button on the table. 여기요 is a useful word twice over, because it also means "here you are" when you hand something over. In this Contos story, a night-shift worker on the 5:47 bus picks up a stranger's dropped travel card and gives it back:
여기요.Yeogiyo.
Said with a raised hand in a restaurant, the same word brings the waiter to you.
How do you split the bill or treat someone?
Traditionally one person pays, often the oldest or whoever invited, and the other treats next time. Splitting is common too, especially among younger people, and staff are used to it.
따로 계산해 주세요.
Ttaro gyesanhae juseyo.
Separate bills, please.
같이 계산해 주세요.
Gachi gyesanhae juseyo.
One bill for everything, please.
제가 낼게요.
Jega naelgeyo.
I'll pay.
오늘은 제가 살게요.
Oneureun jega salgeyo.
Today's on me.
사다 is to buy, so this is "I'll buy" for someone.
다음엔 네가 사.
Daeumen nega sa.
You get the next one.
Casual, between friends.
Staff may ask 영수증 드릴까요? (yeongsujeung deurilkkayo?), "would you like the receipt?". A simple 네 or 아니요 answers it.
What do you say as you leave a Korean restaurant?
Thank the staff for the meal with 잘 먹었습니다 (jal meogeotseumnida), the phrase explained in how to say thank you in Korean. Staff will usually reply 감사합니다 or 안녕히 가세요, and if you liked the place, 또 올게요 (tto olgeyo), "I'll come again", goes down well. More ways to part are in how to say see you later in Korean.
Before paying, you might want to praise the food: see how to say delicious in Korean. And don't leave a tip on the table; it isn't part of Korean restaurant culture, and staff may think you have forgotten your change.
Read 5:47 AM in Korean at A2: two strangers, one bus, and a travel card that starts it all.
Read free in your browserFrequently asked questions
How do you pronounce gyesanhae juseyo?
Roughly "gyeh-san-heh joo-seh-yo". In everyday speech the ㅖ in 계 often sounds like a plain "geh".
Do you tip in Korea?
Generally no. Tipping is not expected in restaurants, cafés or taxis, and the price you see is the price you pay.
What is the difference between gyesanhae juseyo and gyesanhalgeyo?
계산해 주세요 asks someone else to prepare the bill. 계산할게요 announces that you are ready to pay, which is what you say when you walk up to the counter.
How do you say let's split the bill in Korean?
Say 나눠서 내요 (nanwoseo naeyo), "let's split it", to your companions, and 따로 계산해 주세요 (ttaro gyesanhae juseyo) to the staff.