Chinese word

拆单

Pronunciation

Pinyinchāi dān

Meaning

  • verbsplit the bill

Example

我们下次吃饭可以拆单，不用一个人付所有钱。wǒ men xià cì chī fàn ké yǐ chāi dān bú yòng yí gè rén fù suó yǒu qián

Next time we eat, we can split the bill, so one person does not have to pay for everything.

Illustration for 拆单 (split the bill)

More examples

结账时我对服务员说：请把账单拆单。jié zhàng shí wǒ duì fú wù yuán shuō qǐng bǎ zhàng dān chāi dān

When it was time to pay, I said to the server, "Please split the bill."

Core concept

A group meal is reorganized at checkout so payment follows each person or order instead of staying in one total.

Common phrases

  • 可以拆单吗ké yǐ chāi dān ma

    Can we split the bill

  • 请把账单拆单qǐng bǎ zhàng dān chāi dān

    Please split the bill

  • 我们拆单吧wǒ men chāi dān ba

    Let's split the bill

Similar words

各付各的gè fù gè de: To pay separately, with each person covering their own orders.
各自付gè zì fù: To pay one's own part of a shared bill.
分摊fēn tān: To spread a shared cost across the people taking part.
AA: To split a shared cost into equal amounts for everyone.

Definition in Chinese

把账单按人或按项目分开结算，使每个人只付自己的那份钱。bǎ zhàng dān àn rén huò àn xiàng mù fēn kāi jié suàn shǐ měi gè rén zhǐ fù zì jǐ de nà fèn qián

Word origin

拆 (chāi, "separate") + 单 (dān, "bill") presents a bill as something that can be pulled apart, which explains its use for separate settlement after a shared meal.

Usage tips

  • The amount need not be equal: the division may follow each diner or each ordered item, which makes the word useful for mixed meals.

Other meanings

  • pay separatelyverb
  • split an orderverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word