结账 jiézhàng to settle accounts
to settle accounts; to pay the bill
怎么记住“结账”: 结 tie up + 账 accounts = to settle accounts.
汉字
用法
- Verb-object compound meaning to settle the bill; can be split, e.g. 结了账 (jié le zhàng, already paid).
- 服务员，结账！(fúwùyuán, jiézhàng!) - waiter, check please! Standard at restaurants, hotels, and shops.
- 买单 (mǎidān) is a more casual, southern-influenced synonym heard often in restaurants; 结账 is neutral and works everywhere, including formal accounting contexts.
- Because it's already verb + object, you can't add another object after it - say 帮我结一下账, not 结账这个.