Italian Phrase
Dividiamo il conto?
Meaning
A polite way to ask the people you’re dining with whether everyone wants to split the restaurant bill equally. It carries the nuance of a suggestion rather than a demand.
When to use
Use it at the end of a meal, in a café, or after a group activity when you want to share the cost. It works in informal settings and is also acceptable in semi‑formal situations with friends, colleagues, or classmates.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Dividiamoilconto?
Dividiamo (present indicative)
‘Dividiamo’ is the first‑person plural present indicative of ‘dividere’ (to split/divide). It can also be used as a polite suggestion, similar to ‘shall we…?’
il (definite article)
‘il’ is the masculine singular definite article used before a consonant‑starting noun like ‘conto’.
conto (noun)
‘conto’ means ‘bill’ or ‘check’ in a restaurant context.
Question intonation
Italian questions can be formed simply by raising intonation; a question mark is added in writing. No inversion is needed.
🗨In Conversation
Il cibo era ottimo! Dividiamo il conto?
The food was great! Shall we split the bill?
Sì, facciamo alla romana.
Yes, let’s split it equally.
✕Common Mistakes
Dividiamo conto?
The definite article ‘il’ is required before ‘conto’. Omitting it sounds ungrammatical.
Dividiamo il conto alla romana?
When using ‘alla romana’, the verb ‘dividere’ is usually omitted: ‘Facciamo alla romana?’
Dividiamo il conto, no?
Adding ‘no?’ turns the sentence into a tag question, which is less common in Italian and can sound informal or doubtful.
↔Alternatives
Facciamo alla romana?
Shall we split it the Roman way? (i.e., equally)
Paghiamo a turno?
Shall we take turns paying?
Dividiamo il conto tra tutti?
Do we split the bill among everyone?
Cultural Tip
In Italy, the expression ‘alla romana’ is a common idiom for splitting a bill equally among all diners. While many Italians are comfortable with an even split, some prefer to pay for what they ordered, especially in larger groups. It’s polite to ask first – ‘Dividiamo il conto?’ – and then follow the group’s preference.