In most Spanish-speaking countries, waiters don't hover about, asking you every five minutes if you want anything else. For this reason, you will need to call your waiter over to request things, including the check, which will normally only be brought when you ask for it. Catch the waiter's eye and say La cuenta, por favor. In some places, the word nota is used instead of cuenta. You can also make your request a bit more polite using the question form you've already learned: ¿Me trae la cuenta, por favor?

Check your bill! If you are in doubt, ask to see the menu again to check the prices of the items you have ordered. Keep in mind that the endless beverage refill is strictly a United States phenomenon. If you have ordered several soft drinks or cups of coffee, you will be charged for each one. Sometimes there is a charge for bread or extra tortillas. Many nicer restaurants will automatically add a service charge of 10 percent or so, which covers the tip. If there is a problem, simply bring it to the waiter's attention.

TRACK 61

Listen to each example on Track 61 as you follow along in the text. Repeat each statement after you hear it. Pay close attention to tone.

Disculpe, me parece que hay un pequeño error en la cuenta.

(Excuse me; it seems that there is a small error in the bill.)

Perdone, creo que me cobraron dos veces por la ensalada.

(Excuse me; I think they charged me twice for the salad.)

Disculpe, ésta no es nuestra cuenta.

(Sorry, this isn't our check.)

Once again, the rule of thumb is avoid confrontation. Try to phrase the problem neutrally rather than accuse the waiter directly. Whenever possible, simply identify the problem rather than assign blame, or use the impersonal “they” and the third-person plural of the verb as in creo que me cobraron dos veces (I think they charged me twice).