When to use it
Use it at the end of a meal. In Indonesia you can also say "Minta bonnya" (the bill, please).
The sentence in English (“Could you bring the bill, please?”)
"Could you bring the bill, please?" is a polite request: "could" softens it, "you" follows, and "bring" stays in its base form.
- Could
- auxiliary verbcan · form: conditional · modal verb; "Could you…?" is a polite request
- you
- pronounpersonal pronoun
- bring
- verbbring · form: base form (infinitive without "to") · after a modal verb the main verb has no "to"
- the
- determinerdefinite article
- bill
- nounnoun; the check at a restaurant
- please
- adverbpoliteness word
The sentence in Indonesian (“Bisakah Anda membawakan tagihannya?”)
"Bisakah Anda membawakan tagihannya?" turns "bisa" (can) into a question with -kah. "Anda" is the polite you, and "membawakan" means bring for someone.
- Bisakah
- auxiliary verbbisa · form: bisa + -kah · "can"; the -kah ending turns it into a polite question
- Anda
- pronounpolite "you", always capitalised
- membawakan
- verbbawa · form: mem- + bawa + -kan · "bring (for someone)"; -kan shows it is done for me
- tagihannya
- nountagihan + -nya: "the bill"
What changes from one language to the other (English × Indonesian)
English uses "could" and "please" for politeness; Indonesian uses the polite "Anda" and the -kah question. Indonesian builds the meaning "for me" into the verb with -kan, where English needs no extra word.
Example conversation
— Bisakah Anda membawakan tagihannya?
— Could you bring the bill, please?
— Tentu, sebentar ya.
— Of course, just a moment.