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Если счёт оплачен, оставь чаевые на столе.

Если счёт оплачен, оставь чаевые на столе.
If the bill is paid, leave the tip on the table.

Breakdown of Если счёт оплачен, оставь чаевые на столе.

стол
the table
на
on
если
if
оставить
to leave
счёт
the bill
чаевые
the tips
оплаченный
paid
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Questions & Answers about Если счёт оплачен, оставь чаевые на столе.

Why is there a comma in Если счёт оплачен, оставь чаевые на столе?

In Russian, a subordinate clause introduced by если (if) is normally separated from the main clause by a comma.
So Если счёт оплачен (the condition) + comma + оставь чаевые на столе (the instruction).

What exactly is счёт here, and how do I pronounce it?

счёт means the bill/check (in a restaurant) or an account (bank account), depending on context. Here it’s the restaurant bill.
Pronunciation: счёт is stressed on the only syllable, and ё is pronounced yo: roughly shchyot.

Why does it say счёт оплачен instead of a verb like “paid” (e.g., оплатили)?

оплачен is a short passive participle meaning (it is) paid / has been paid—it focuses on the resulting state: the bill is already settled.
Compare:

  • Счёт оплачен. = The bill is paid (status/result).
  • Счёт оплатили. = They paid the bill (focus on the action/actor).
Why is оплачен in that form—what does it agree with?

Short passive participles agree in gender and number with the noun:

  • счёт is masculine singular → оплачен (masc. sg.) Other patterns:
  • сумма оплачена (fem. sg.)
  • письмо оплачено (neut. sg.)
  • счета оплачены (plural)
Should there be то after если, like Если ..., то ...?

It’s optional. то can be added for emphasis or clarity, especially in longer sentences:

  • Если счёт оплачен, (то) оставь чаевые на столе. In short everyday sentences, то is often omitted.
Why is the command оставь and not оставляй?

This is about aspect in the imperative:

  • оставь (perfective) = leave (it) / do it (once), achieve the result
  • оставляй (imperfective) = be leaving / leave habitually / keep doing it (often sounds like repeated action or general advice) Here, leaving a tip is a one-time completed action, so оставь is natural.
Why is there no word for “you” in the sentence?

Russian commonly drops subject pronouns because the verb ending shows the person:

  • оставь = you (informal singular) leave If you want to be explicit (often for contrast), you can add ты, but it’s not necessary.
Is оставь informal? How do I say it politely?

Yes. оставь is addressed to one person informally (to a friend, family member, etc.).
Polite/plural:

  • Если счёт оплачен, оставьте чаевые на столе. = (Please) leave a tip on the table.
Why is чаевые plural? Can it be singular?

чаевые is a plural-only noun in Russian (like “earnings” in form), meaning tip/tips.
You normally don’t use a singular form to mean a tip. You can quantify it:

  • оставь чаевые = leave a tip
  • оставь немного чаевых = leave some tip money
  • оставь 200 рублей чаевых = leave 200 rubles as a tip
Why is it на столе and not на стол?

Both can be used, with a nuance:

  • на стол (accusative) emphasizes movement/destination: put it onto the table.
  • на столе (prepositional) emphasizes location where it remains: leave it on the table (there). With оставить (“leave behind”), на столе is very common because the idea is “it stays there.”
Can the word order change? For example, чаевые оставь на столе?

Yes. Word order is flexible and changes emphasis:

  • Оставь чаевые на столе. = neutral
  • Чаевые оставь на столе. = emphasizes tips (as opposed to something else)
  • На столе оставь чаевые. = emphasizes on the table (not somewhere else)