together or separate?

[HSC]

Situation: You are in a restaurant with a friend. When it is time for the bill, the waiter wants to know if you'd like everything together on the same bill or separate bills.

There are several words for together and separate so I'd like to clarify which ones fit the context.

How would you ask:

Would that be together or separate?

I know there may be other ways to say this in English as well, but I am trying to figure out the uses of the various "together" and "separate". Perhaps I should list the variations:

together: 共同, 一起, 合起来, 集拢地

separate: 分开的, 分离的, 个别的, 单独的

[ala]

“合账还是分开？”

。

[semantic nuance]

In Taiwan, we say:

要一起算還是分開(算)? (算suan4=count,calculate)

要合在一起(算)還是分開(算)?

要一起算還是各付各的? ( 各付各的=go dutch, to pay the bill separately)

Hope it helps!

[HSC]

Thank you for the replies!

合账还是分开？

Can 账 also refer to a receipt, such as purchasing items in a store. For example, there may be two of us at the register, so the cashier might ask if to put everything on one bill/receipt...

要一起算還是分開(算)?

要合在一起(算)還是分開(算)?

要一起算還是各付各的?

• 合在一起: So, it does not sound odd to use 合 and 在一起 together as they kind of have the same meaning? I guess it's like 跟我们一起……
  
• Does mainland China use 各付各的 as well? (I like the expression!)
  
• When you put 算 in parentheses, do you mean that it is optional, or that it can be used in place of 开？ I am assuming the former, but just wanted to make sure.
  

[semantic nuance]

合在一起: So, it does not sound odd to use 合 and 在一起 together as they kind of have the same meaning? I guess it's like 跟我们一起……

合 here means 'to add up'. I don't quite get what you meant by 跟我們在一起, can you be more contexually specific?

Does mainland China use 各付各的 as well? (I like the expression!)

I'm sorry. I know it's used in Taiwan but I have the slightest idea if it is also used in Mainland China.

When you put 算 in parentheses, do you mean that it is optional, or that it can be used in place of 开？ I am assuming the former, but just wanted to make sure.

I mean the former. Sorry for being not clear.

I'll put the pattern A or B? as follows: You can use any sentence in A to match any sentence in B.

A: 要一起(算)

要(算在)ㄧ起

要合在一起(算)

要一起(付)(fu4=pay)

B:分開(算)

各付各的

分開(付)

Hope it helps!

[Ian_Lee]

It is less often to be on Dutch when you dine in Chinese restaurants.

Why? Very simple.

Unlike western restaurants which each one orders his own dish, usually a lot of dishes are ordered and shared in Chinese restaurants. So how can you divide the bill (unless you divide the total by the number of people)?

More often you witness in Chinese restaurants is that they will fight for the bill -- whoever grab and pay for it has the "face".

[skylee]

In HK, if we go dutch, one of the party will pay for the bill and the others will pay for their share to this guy/girl instead of paying separately to the restaurant direct. So for us it is either a treat by someone (有人請(客)) or contribution by all (夾份/錢).

[Ian_Lee]

My experience is that in the Chinese restaurants in U.S., it is okay if you ask for separate bills if you are not Chinese.

However, if you are all Chinese and ask for separate bills for each one, the waitress will glance at you guys and wonder what the hell is going on between you guys.

And if the customer group is a mix between Chinese and non-Chinese, the waitress will naturally give the bill to the Chinese.