Offering to pay

买单 · mǎidān. pay the bill.

A green teapot and two cups on a wooden tea tray
Etiquette买单mǎidānpay the bill

The meal is ending and the bill arrives at the table.

What to do

Thank the host and let the person who invited everyone lead. If you want to contribute, offer once clearly instead of turning the payment into a contest.

Context

Who pays depends on the relationship, occasion, and age group. Splitting the bill is increasingly common among friends and colleagues.

Useful phrase

Let’s split the bill.

我们AA吧。Wǒmen AA ba.