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Questions & Answers about Дайте, пожалуйста, счёт.
Why does the verb Дайте end in -йте?
This is the formal command form (imperative) of the verb дать (to give). Since you are asking a waiter for the bill, you use the polite formal -йте ending. If you were asking a close friend or family member for something, you would drop the -те and just say Дай.
I don't see the word for 'me' in the Russian sentence. Is it implied?
Yes! While you could say Дайте мне счёт (Give to me the bill), Russians often drop the word мне when it is obvious from the context. In a restaurant, it is perfectly clear who you want the bill given to.
Why doesn't the word счёт (bill) change its ending since it is the object of the verb?
The object of an action takes the Accusative case. However, for inanimate (non-living) masculine nouns like счёт, the Accusative form is identical to the dictionary form. So, no ending change is needed!
How exactly do I pronounce пожалуйста?
Even though it has a й and an у in the middle, the й is completely silent in everyday speech, and the у is often swallowed. It sounds roughly like 'pa-ZHAL-sta'. It is a very common pronunciation exception that you just have to memorize.