French Phrase
On aimerait payer séparément.
Meaning
This sentence politely states that the speaker (or a group) would like to settle the bill each on their own. It uses the conditional to soften the request, making it sound courteous rather than demanding.
When to use
Use it in restaurants, cafés, taxis, or any situation where a group is paying. It’s especially handy when you want to avoid awkward calculations and keep the payment process clear for everyone.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Onaimeraitpayerséparément
On (impersonal pronoun)
‘On’ is the informal way to say ‘we’ in spoken French; it can also be truly impersonal, like ‘one’ in English.
aimerait (conditional)
The conditional of ‘aimer’ (to like) expresses a polite wish or desire: ‘we would like…’.
payer (infinitive after aimer)
When a verb of desire (aimer, vouloir, souhaiter) is followed by another verb, the second verb stays in the infinitive.
séparément (adverb)
‘Séparément’ is the adverbial form of ‘séparé’; it modifies the verb ‘payer’ to mean ‘separately’.
🗨In Conversation
On aimerait payer séparément, s'il vous plaît.
We would like to pay separately, please.
Bien sûr, je vous apporte les additions séparées.
Of course, I’ll bring you the separate bills.
✕Common Mistakes
On aimerait payer séparé.
‘Séparé’ is an adjective; you need the adverb ‘séparément’ to modify the verb ‘payer’.
On aimerait payer séparémentes.
Adverbs do not agree in gender or number; keep the singular form ‘séparément’.
On aimerait payer séparéments.
Do not add an ‘s’ to the adverb; it stays unchanged.
Nous aimerait payer séparément.
‘Nous’ requires the plural conditional ‘aimerions’, not ‘aimerait’.
↔Alternatives
Nous voudrions régler séparément.
We would like to settle the bill separately.
Chacun paiera pour sa part.
Each person will pay for his/her share.
Pouvez-vous nous donner des additions séparées ?
Could you give us separate checks?
Cultural Tip
In France it’s perfectly acceptable to ask for separate checks, but not every establishment is equipped to do it instantly. Phrase the request politely, as above, and be prepared for the server to ask for a moment to split the bill. In more formal settings (e.g., business lunches) it’s common for one person to cover the whole tab, so gauge the context first.