These are all words for a record of how much you owe for goods or services you have bought or used. 以上各词均指账单、账目。

• bill a list of goods that you have bought or services that you have used, showing how much you owe; the price or cost of sth 指账单：◆the gas bill 煤气费账单
• account an arrangement with a shop/store or business to pay bills for goods or services at a later time, for example in regular amounts every month 指赊销账、赊欠账、赊购：◆Put it on my account please. 请记在我的赊购账上。
• invoice (rather formal) a bill for goods that sb has bought or work that has been done for sb 指发票、发货或服务费用清单：◆The builders sent an invoice for £250. 营造商发出了一张 250 英镑的发票。

bill or invoice? 用 bill 还是 invoice？

You would get a bill in a restaurant, bar or hotel; from a company that supplies you with gas, electricity, etc.; or from sb whose property you have damaged. An invoice is for goods supplied or work done as agreed between a customer and supplier. * bill 指餐馆、酒吧、旅馆、煤气公司、电力公司等开出的账单或财产所有者开出的索赔清单。invoice 指客户与供应商约定的供货或服务费用清单。

• check (NAmE) a piece of paper that shows how much you have to pay for the food and drinks that you have had in a restaurant 指餐馆的账单：◆Can I have the check, please? 请给我结账。 NOTE In British English the usual word for this is bill. 此义英式英语中常用 bill。

Patterns

• the bill/invoice/check for sth
• to pay/settle a(n) bill/account/invoice/check
• to put sth on the/sb's bill/account/invoice/check