What is the song about?

A couple or a group of friends finishes having dinner at a restaurant. It has been a lovely evening; they call the waiter, ask for the bill, pay by card, ask for the receipt, leave a tip, and go home happy. In the bridge, they decide to split the total equally.

Useful words and expressions

  • La cuenta, por favor: the key phrase for asking for the bill at a restaurant.
  • Disculpe: polite form (of usted) to get someone's attention.
  • el mesero: the person who waits tables. Used mainly in Latin America. In Spain, people say el camarero.
  • el efectivo / la tarjeta: to pay en efectivo (in cash, with bills and coins) or con tarjeta (by card).
  • el recibo: the piece of paper that proves you have paid (the receipt). Also called el tique or la factura.
  • la propina: the extra money left for good service (the tip). The phrase used is dejar propina.
  • pagar a escote: to split the bill so that everyone pays their share. It is a colloquial expression from Spain.
  • sin prisa: calmly, without rushing.
  • el tiempo voló: time passed very quickly (time flew).
  • con muy buen humor: in a very good mood, very happy.
  • el chico: here it is an informal way of referring to the waiter.

Grammar

  • Addressing someone as usted: ¿se puede acercar?, la puede pasar. This is the polite tone used with restaurant staff.
  • Pronoun position: la puede pasar = puede pasarla. The pronoun goes either before the conjugated verb or attached to the infinitive. Both forms are correct.
  • Preterite (pretérito indefinido) for completed actions: terminó, voló, fue, dio.
  • Present tense for immediate actions: pagamos ahora, nos vamos a casa.
  • Subjunctive: lo que sea mejor (whatever you prefer).
  • Estar + adjective: ya estamos listos.

Watch out: changes made for the rhyme

Some phrases are adapted to fit the rhyme. It is best not to copy them word for word:

  • por mi contabilidad: the normal phrasing is para mi contabilidad, because it indicates purpose.
  • un sabor muy genial: genial is already a strong adjective. It sounds more natural to say un sabor genial or muy rico.
  • un servicio de honor: this is not a common expression. One would normally say un servicio excelente.
  • no hay un reproche: sounds unusual. One would say no es un reproche or no hay ningún reproche.
  • The song mixes mesero (Latin America) with pagar a escote (Spain). In real life, each region normally uses only one of the two.