Can I Get The Check In Portuguese? | The Polite Way To Pay

Yes, you can ask for the bill by saying “A conta, por favor,” and sound polite in Brazil or Portugal.

You’re finishing a meal, you’ve chatted, you’re ready to leave, and the server hasn’t brought the bill yet. In English you’d say, “Can we get the check?” In Portuguese, you can do the same thing with one short line that works in both Brazil and Portugal.

This article gives you the words, the timing, and a few small tweaks that stop mix-ups. You’ll see phrases for a normal bill, splitting a bill, paying by card, and handling the little extras that can show up on a receipt.

What “check” means in Portuguese

In restaurants, the English word “check” maps to conta. That word means the bill or the tab. It’s the one you want at the end of a meal.

There’s another word that looks familiar: cheque. That’s a bank check, the paper kind. If you ask for o cheque at a restaurant, you may get a puzzled look, since you’re pretty much asking for a payment slip from a checkbook.

• Restaurant bill:a conta
• Bank check:um cheque
• Receipt:o recibo or a fatura (you’ll hear both)

Getting the check in Portuguese at a restaurant

If you only learn one phrase, make it this. It’s short, polite, and works in both places most travelers visit.

A conta, por favor

A conta, por favor. = “The bill, please.”

Say it with a friendly tone and a small hand raise. If the room is loud, you can catch the server’s eye first, then say the line once. No extra words needed.

If you want a full sentence

Some people feel better with a verb. These sound natural and keep the same meaning.

• Pode trazer a conta, por favor? = “Can you bring the bill, please?”
• Posso receber a conta, por favor? = “Can I get the bill, please?”

In Brazil you’ll often hear the word trazer (to bring) in this moment. In Portugal you’ll hear it too. Either way, you’re understood.

When you’re ready to pay right now

If you don’t just want the bill, and you’re ready to settle up, these lines help.

• Quero pagar. = “I want to pay.”
• Podemos pagar? = “Can we pay?”
• É para pagar. = “It’s to pay.” (a short cue that you’re closing out)

Can I Get The Check In Portuguese?

Yes. In a restaurant, ask for a conta. If you keep it simple, you’ll sound natural and you’ll get the bill fast.

Here’s a small script you can copy into your notes:

1. Com licença. (to get attention)
2. A conta, por favor.
3. Obrigado (or Obrigada if you’re a woman speaking).

Small changes that avoid awkward moments

Portuguese is clear once you use the right noun, but receipts and payment steps can vary by place. These tips cover the spots where English speakers trip up.

Ask for the receipt only if you need it

In many places, the bill arrives as a printed slip. If you need a receipt for work or reimbursement, ask after you pay.

• Pode me dar o recibo? = “Can you give me the receipt?”
• Preciso da fatura. = “I need the invoice.”

Say how you want to pay

In the U.S., the server may take your card away. In Portugal and Brazil, card machines often come to the table. Saying your payment method early speeds things up.

• Vou pagar com cartão. = “I’ll pay by card.”
• Vou pagar em dinheiro. = “I’ll pay in cash.”
• Tem pagamento por aproximação? = “Do you take tap to pay?”

Splitting the bill

Some places split easily, some don’t. Asking clearly saves back-and-forth at the register.

• Pode separar a conta? = “Can you split the bill?”
• Uma conta para cada pessoa. = “One bill per person.”
• Metade para cada um. = “Half for each of us.”

What can show up on the bill in Brazil and Portugal

Most of the time you’ll see food, drinks, and tax, then you pay and go. Two line items surprise U.S. travelers more than anything: a service fee in Brazil and table starters in Portugal.

Service fee in Brazil

In Brazil, it’s common to see a 10% service charge added to the bill. Many diners pay it, but the charge isn’t mandatory. If you want it removed, you can ask politely. The Ceará public prosecutor’s consumer office spells out that the 10% service fee is optional under the tip law. “Cobrança de 10%” (DECON/MPCE) explains the rule in plain language.

Lines if you want to skip the fee:

• Pode retirar a taxa de serviço? = “Can you remove the service fee?”
• Vou pagar sem a taxa, por favor. = “I’ll pay without the fee, please.”

Starters placed on the table in Portugal

In Portugal, some restaurants bring bread, olives, or small starters right after you sit down. If you eat them, they’re charged. If you don’t touch them, you can ask the staff to take them away.

Portugal’s catering and restaurant rules sit inside national regulations for trade and services. The official gazette publishes the legal scheme that governs these activities. Decree-Law No. 10/2015 (Diário da República) is one place to start if you want the formal text.

Lines that keep it smooth:

• Não queremos isto, obrigado. = “We don’t want this, thanks.”
• Pode tirar, por favor. = “Can you take it away, please?”

Checking the numbers before you pay

When you get the bill, scan it once before you hand over a card. If something looks off, keep your tone calm and point to the line.

• Desculpe, pode conferir? = “Sorry, can you check?”
• Pedimos só um. = “We ordered only one.”
• Faltou tirar este item. = “This item still needs to be removed.”

Restaurant check vs hotel check-in

This keyword trips people up because English uses “check” in two travel moments: getting the bill, and checking into a hotel. Portuguese keeps them separate. Bills use conta. Hotels use check-in (yes, English) or a word like registro in Brazil.

Hotel front desk phrases that work

If you’re at a reception desk and you want to start the process, these lines fit both Brazil and Portugal.

• Quero fazer o check-in. = “I want to check in.”
• Tenho uma reserva. = “I have a reservation.”
• Em nome de [Name]. = “Under the name [Name].”

If the clerk asks for documents, you can answer with short phrases:

• Aqui está meu passaporte. = “Here’s my passport.”
• Este é meu cartão. = “This is my card.”

Pronunciation shortcuts that make you clearer

You don’t need perfect pronunciation to be understood, but a couple of sounds help a lot. Use these rough cues to keep the rhythm right.

• Conta: sounds like “KON-tah.”
• Por favor: “por fah-VOR.” In Portugal the last sound is softer.
• Cartão: “car-TOWN,” with a nasal ending.
• Dinheiro: “jin-NYEH-roo” in Brazil; in Portugal the first sound is lighter.

If you’re nervous, point at the bill folder or the card machine while you speak. That visual cue does half the work.

Timing and table manners that help in Portuguese-speaking places

In many restaurants, the server won’t drop the bill until you ask. It’s a way of giving you time. If you’re used to a faster U.S. pace, it can feel like you’re waiting. You’re not stuck; you just need to ask.

Try this sequence:

1. Finish your last bite and set your utensils down.
2. Make eye contact and say Com licença.
3. Ask for the bill: A conta, por favor.
4. When the bill arrives, say your payment method.

If you’re in a place where you pay at the counter, the server may nod and point you there. Follow the cue, bring the slip, and you’ll handle it like everyone else.

Pocket phrases to save before your trip

If you save only one set of lines, save these. They cover most meal endings without extra chatter.

• A conta, por favor.
• Vou pagar com cartão.
• Pode separar a conta?
• Pode me dar o recibo?

Say them once, wait, and smile. That’s it.