Numbers and Money: Maths English for Hospitality

⏱ 5 MIN · CEFR A2

Numbers and Money: Maths English for Hospitality

💰 From my notebook:

On my second day in a Sydney restaurant, I gave a customer the wrong change. Not because I couldn’t count — I could. The problem was the English. ‘Out of twenty’ meant he gave me twenty dollars. I didn’t know that phrase. I learned thirty English money phrases in one shift.

🎯 By the end you will:

• Say prices correctly in English
• Use key phrases for handling payment
• Understand ‘out of’, ‘change’, ‘receipt’

📖 Key phrases and vocabulary:

Prices: $12.50 = twelve dollars fifty | $0.75 = seventy-five cents
Taking payment: That comes to… / Your total is…
‘Out of’: Out of twenty = customer paid with $20
Change: Here’s your change — $7.50.
Receipt: Would you like a receipt?

✅ Quick check: A customer gives you $50 for a $34 bill. What do you say?

x.checked)[0];this.nextSibling.style.display=’block’;this.nextSibling.textContent=sel&&sel.value==’1′?’✅ Correct!’:’❌ Try again’;” style=”margin-top:8px;background:#FF8F00;color:#fff;border:none;padding:6px 14px;border-radius:6px;cursor:pointer;”>Check

✍️ Try it (2 min):

Practise with a partner:
A: ‘That comes to £8.75.’ B: [pays with £10] ‘Out of ten.’ A: ‘Here is your change — £1.25.’
Swap and repeat with different amounts.

💡 Teacher’s tip:

Use real coins and notes if possible. Physical objects make number vocabulary stick. If not, draw amounts on the board and drill the phrases chorally first.