In English, breakfast lunch dinner. Products, food in English. A short dialogue - an invitation to dinner in English
Could you please explain the difference between lunch, supper And dinner? Does the name depend on the time of meal, type of food or quantity?
- Answer
Well Pia, thank you for asking a question about my favorite topic, food and meals during the day. The expressions you"ve chosen - lunch, supper and dinner, belong to a larger set which includes words such as breakfast, tea and brunch. I"ll be talking about those later.
Well, Pia, thanks for asking about my favorite topic – food and eating throughout the day. The words you have chosen are lunch, supper And dinner, belong to a larger list that also includes words such as breakfast, tea And brunch. I'll talk about them later.
The expressions do relate to the time of day that you eat the meal and the type of food and the size of the meal. That's why it can get confusing.
The names really depend on the time of meal, and on the type of food, and on its quantity. Therefore, confusion may arise.
First of all, breakfast. This is simplest; it's the first meal of the day in the morning.
Firstly, breakfast (breakfast). It is the simplest: this is the first meal of the day in the morning.
In the middle of the day, you might have lunch or dinner. Lunch sounds more informal or more typical, particularly for people who are working.
In the middle of the day maybe lunch or dinner (dinner). Lunch sounds less formal or more familiar, especially for working people.
In the evening, you might have dinner or supper. I think that people who have a quick lunch in the middle of the day will say they have dinner in the evening and this dinner will be a good meal.
In the evening maybe dinner or supper (dinner). It seems to me that people who have a quick snack during the day lunch), will tell you what they eat in the evening dinner and in that case dinner (dinner) will be a more substantial meal.
A supper is usually a light meal and is probably had after a larger dinner has been had in the middle of the day.
Supper– usually a light snack and most likely follows a larger meal dinner in the middle of the day.
Confused? Well most people see a dinner as a more complete meal. A common lunch in England is a sandwich, but dinner might include soup, meat with vegetables, and then a dessert like apple pie and ice cream. So, dinner is really the main meal and people might have it in the middle of the day or in the evening. Lunch and supper are both light kinds of meal. Lunch is in the middle of the day, supper is in the evening.
Confused? So, most people think that dinner- This is a more complete meal. Typical lunch in England it's a sandwich, but dinner may consist of soup, meat and vegetables, and dessert, such as apple pie with ice cream. That is, dinner, in fact, is the main meal and can be either in the middle of the day or in the evening. AND lunch, And supper- This is a light snack. Lunch in the middle of the day, supper In the evening.
Now I mentioned there are some other meals. We talked about breakfast. Two more words that you could add to your list are brunch and tea. Brunch is a mixture of breakfast and lunch, as you can tell by the sound of the word: "brunch". And people usually have brunch as a replacement for both lunch and breakfast. Brunch is usually had at about 11 o"clock.
As I mentioned earlier, there are other meals. We have already talked about breakfast (breakfast). Two more words that can be added to the list - brunch And tea. Brunch is a combination breakfast And lunch (breakfast And lunch), as you can guess from the word "brunch" itself. Brunch usually replaces dinner (lunch), And breakfast (breakfast). Brunch It usually happens around 11 am.
And the final word is tea. Now of course this is a drink, like tea and coffee, but it can also be a light evening meal. I think this word is often used in families, particularly with their children. "It"s tea time", "It"s time for tea!" This means their small evening meal.
And the last word - tea. Of course, this is a drink, like tea and coffee, but it can also mean a light evening snack. I think that this word is most often used in families, especially where there are children. “Tea time” means time for a small evening snack.
To finish, it is of course unusual to have breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, tea and supper all in one day. But let me tell you, not impossible. And from that comment you"ll understand that I have the ideal physique and dietary habits for radio and the internet and not for TV.
And in conclusion: of course, it is not customary to eat breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, tea And supper in the same day. But, I assure you, nothing is impossible. From this statement you can conclude that my physique and diet are ideal for radio and the Internet, but not for television.
- Note 1
If you want to know interesting facts about the origin of the English word "breakfast", check out the material "
You can hardly find a more important and discussed topic in life than food. Food is given great value, both in the media and in ordinary life. This topic is multifaceted and inexhaustible. The topic of healthy eating has become relevant these days. People are divided into groups according to taste preferences, endlessly discussing the advantages and disadvantages of vegetarianism, different diets, the benefits and harms of various foods. Yes and in Everyday life We cannot do without food and cooking. It is not surprising that when learning English, the topic “Meals and cooking” is very popular and a must-learn. Having in your arsenal a set of words on this topic, you will be able to support any conversation that in one way or another touches on food, besides, the rows of price tags in the supermarket on English language will no longer be able to confuse you.
Meals in English.
Actually initial stage learning, everyone who studies English learns words such as breakfast, lunch, dinner. These words appear in educational materials very often and are usually remembered by themselves, without additional effort. But still, in fairness, let's call these words. Typically, there are four main meals:
Breakfast |ˈbrekfəst| breakfast
Lunch |lʌntʃ| lunch, dinner
Dinner |ˈdɪnər| lunch, dinner
Supper |ˈsʌpər| dinner
In England, there is traditionally another separate meal called:
Tea |tiː| tea
The English tradition of “5 o’clock tea” is known throughout the world and is still observed in many British families. Despite the name, evening tea can be served at any convenient time between lunch and dinner (from one to six in the afternoon). Traditional tea is served on a table by the fireplace in the living room. There must be milk or cream, cookies, jam on the table. Moreover, the British pour tea into milk, and not vice versa.
We buy groceries at the supermarket.
Now let's go buy groceries and English words on the topic "Food" to the supermarket.
Let's go to the meat department - meat section
There we can buy, for example: 
Meat |miːt| meat
Pork tenderloin |pɔːrk ˈtendərlɔɪn| pork tenderloin
Stew beef |stuː biːf| beef stew
Turkey |ˈtɜːrki| turkey
Ground turkey |ɡraʊnd ˈtɜːrki| ground turkey
Sausage |ˈsɔːsɪdʒ| sausage
Ham|hæm| ham
Then we go to the dairy department - dairy products and buy: 
Butter |ˈbʌtər| oil
Cheese |tʃiːz| cheese
Cream |kriːm| cream
Mayonnaise |ˈmeɪəneɪz| mayonnaise
Milk |mɪlk| milk
Yogurt |ˈjoʊɡərt| yogurt
In the grocery department - grocery section choose:
Bay leaves |beɪ liːvz| Bay leaf
Biscuits |ˈbɪskəts| cookie
Cake |keɪk| cake
Candies |ˈkændiz| candies
Chocolate |ˈtʃɑːklət| chocolate
Coffee |ˈkɔːfi| coffee
Flour |ˈflaʊər| flour
Ground pepper |ɡraʊnd ˈpepər| ground pepper
Olive oil |ˈɑːlɪv ɔɪl| olive oil
Sugar |ˈʃʊɡər| sugar
Tea |tiː| tea
On the way to the checkout we'll grab: 
Bread |bred| bread
Eggs |eɡz| eggs
Juice |dʒuːs| juice
Coke |koʊk| Coca Cola
Ice-cream |aɪs ˈkriːm| ice cream
Also in the department of vegetables and fruits - vegetables and fruit let's buy:
Apples |ˈæpəlz| apples
Cucumbers |ˈkjuːkʌmərz| cucumbers
Potatoes |pəˈteɪtoʊz| potato
Tomatoes |təˈmɑːtoʊz| tomatoes
Now, with full packages of products and English words, we move on.
By the way, at the same time we suggest you grab a few verbs that mean what can be done with these products:
Bake |beɪk| bake
Boil |bɔɪl| cook
Cook |kʊk| Cook food)
Roast |roʊst| fry
Names of ready-made dishes in English.
When studying words on the topic “Food in English”, it makes sense to learn words not only meaning the names of products, but also the names of some dishes - dishes. Some of the words that we mentioned above can certainly act as separate dishes and appear on the menu of a cafe or restaurant. But we would like to bring to your attention a few additional familiar and widespread names for ready-made dishes in English.
Beef steak |biːf steɪk| steak
Pancake |ˈpænkeɪk| Crap
Bouillon |ˈbuːjɑːn| bouillon
Fried potatoes |fraɪd pəˈteɪtəʊz| fried potatoes
Mashed potatoes |ˈmæʃt pəˈteɪtəʊz| mashed potatoes
Porridge |ˈpɔːrɪdʒ| porridge
Cutlet |ˈkʌtlət| cutlet
Pork chop |pɔːrk tʃɑːp| pork chop
Pie |paɪ| pie
Scrambled eggs |ˈskræmbəld eɡz| fried eggs
Reinforcing learned words in practice.
Of course, the list of words presented in our article is far from complete. We have touched upon only a small part of this truly inexhaustible topic. Food in English with translation is a topic you will return to again and again as your language proficiency improves.
But at the same time, it should be recognized that, despite the huge number of words on the topic “Food in English,” you don’t have to rack your brains about where and how to practice using them. A variety of training methods are literally on the surface. For example, before your next trip to the supermarket, you can make a list of necessary products in English. Sitting in a cafe, you can take a photo of the proposed menu and, while waiting for your order, see how many names of dishes or products from it you can name at once, and at home, in your free time, try to translate this entire menu. In addition, from the same menu you can choose your favorite dish and break it down into ingredients - write down in English what it is made from. The task can be complicated by not just listing the products, but writing the recipe in complete sentences, using the appropriate thematic verbs.
If you want to not only consolidate new words, but also practice using them in speech and do exercises to use them, the online tutorial will help you with this. Short texts, stories and funny stories on various topics will be a good help for replenishing vocabulary and listening and writing training.
For example, you can find the names of products on the site in the story about the girl Lima - “A special diet”. Here is an excerpt from this story:
Lima went to the refrigerator and began to get food out of it;
sausage, cheese, meat, vegetables, Greek yogurt, peanut butter, bananas and apples.
Mother came and asked what Lima was doing.
"I decided to go on a diet."
Special diet
Lima went to the refrigerator and began to take food out of it:
sausage, cheese, meat, vegetables, Greek yogurt, peanut butter, bananas and apples.
Mom came in and asked what Lima was doing.
“I decided to go on a diet.”
You can find out what diet Lima follows and listen to many other stories in English with translation on our website. and learn English with us!
Imagine that your English-speaking friend sent you a letter with the following content:
Dear Sir,
I request the pleasure of your company at dinner on Saturday at 7 p.m.
Looks like an invitation. But where are you invited? Dinner - it seems like lunch. But seven o'clock is a little late for lunch, isn't it? Let's try to figure out when it is customary to have lunch in England.
Old school textbooks told us that in England there are three main meals: breakfast(breakfast) in the morning, dinner(lunch) in the afternoon and supper(dinner) in the evening. Sadly, textbooks are two hundred years behind reality.
In the Middle Ages, everything really was like this: early in the morning, at dawn, a person ate his breakfast, soon after noon he ate a hearty dinner, and a light supper at sunset. The main role in this system was given to lunch. After sunset, medieval man went to bed to begin a new day at dawn.
But progress did not stand still - gradually people’s lives ceased to be strictly dependent on daylight hours; many continued to be active even after darkness fell. Supper, the meal-before-bedtime, began to move to a later time, in turn, and dinner from midday began to move closer and closer to the place that previously belonged to supper.
But it was difficult to endure the whole day from breakfast to late lunch (or early dinner), so it began to come into use lunch- food in the middle of the day. Strictly speaking, lunch existed before - word luncheon meant a light snack between breakfast and lunch. From a light snack it gradually turned into a full meal.
So now in most parts of the UK and US the system looks like this:
- breakfast - breakfast;
- lunch - lunch;
- dinner - dinner, which is usually eaten at six to seven o'clock in the evening;
- supper - also dinner, but later and lighter.
However, options are possible - in some regions of America, lunch is called dinner in the old fashioned way, and dinner is called supper. In the UK, lunch is called dinner rather people from low social strata.
Just under no circumstances call your nightly foray to the refrigerator last supper - you may offend the religious feelings of your interlocutor. The Last supper is not the “last supper”, but the Last Supper.
It is important to note that in the minds of speakers, dinner has continued to be the main meal of the day since the Middle Ages, so if they want to give special meaning to lunch, then they would rather call it dinner, regardless of the time for which it is scheduled. Ceremonial event or family meeting at the table on Sunday - also dinner.
Don't forget about grammar. If the word lunch or dinner means eating as a process tied to a certain time of day, then the word is used without an article:
- We usually have dinner at about 6.30 p.m., then supper before we go to bed.
- We had some friends round for dinner on Saturday.
- We were just having our lunch.
If we mean a set of dishes on the table, then the article is most often present:
- The dinner was delicious.
LUNCH, lunch, husband. 1. A meal usually scheduled for the middle of the day, as opposed to breakfast and dinner. Sit down for lunch. Lunch at 5 o'clock. The workers left for lunch. Invite someone to dinner. “Tell my wife not to wait for me for dinner.” Pushkin... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary
dinner- See feast... Dictionary of Russian synonyms and similar expressions. under. ed. N. Abramova, M.: Russian Dictionaries, 1999. lunch food, feast; lunch, break, smoke break, banquet, session, lunch break, went to base, sanitary hour, lunch break,... ... Synonym dictionary
Dinner- ■ Once upon a time we had lunch at noon; Now they're having lunch God knows how late. ■ Our fathers' lunch is the same as our breakfast, and our breakfast is their lunch. ■ Late lunch is not lunch, but dinner... Lexicon of common truths
DINNER- LUNCH, huh, husband. 1. Meal, usually in the middle of the day. Invite to o. Come for lunch. Invited Fr. 2. Food prepared for this meal. Delicious o. Delivery of lunches at home. 3. The time of such a meal, usually in the middle of the day (colloquial). Come to the very o. 4.… … Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary
dinner- Rich, magnificent, tasty, gastronomic (obsolete), long, long, kind, fatty, ringing (obsolete), abundant, sophisticated, exquisite, royal, tasty, light, Lucullean, slow, simple, plentiful, excellent,… ... Dictionary of epithets
DINNER- see articles Nutrition and Cooking... Concise encyclopedia household
Dinner- Not to be confused with Vow... Wikipedia
dinner- noun, m., used. very often Morphology: (no) what? lunch, what? lunch, (see) what? lunch, what? lunch, about what? about lunch; pl. What? lunches, (no) what? lunches, what? having lunch, (see) what? lunches, what? lunches, about what? about lunches 1. Lunch is called... ... Dmitriev's Explanatory Dictionary
DINNER- Lunch. Don. Outdated A treat, a feast arranged by the village government for the Cossacks. SRNG 22, 25; SDG 1, 28. Wolf's lunch. Don. 1. Outdated Same as a biryuk lunch. SRNG 22, 25; SDG 1, 75. 2. Treats arranged by sharing, on shares. SRNG 22,… … Large dictionary of Russian sayings
Dinner- If in a dream you dreamed that you were having lunch alone, you may have a serious reason to think about important life problems. A young woman who dreams of having dinner alone with her lover may quarrel with him... ... Large universal dream book
dinner- Old Russian - obed (lunch). In the Russian language, the word “dinner” became widely used only at the end of the 16th century, although it arose a very long time ago - back in the common Slavic period from the stem ed. This word originally meant meal time or eating during the day,... ... Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language Semenov
Books
- Soulful lunch MK Kir. 2°, Simeon of Polotsk, Soulful lunch MK Kir. 2°: Moscow: Verkhnyaya Printing House, October 1681: Reproduced in the original author’s spelling (Typography publishing house… Category: Humanities Series: Publisher: Book on Demand, Buy for 1878 rub.
- Lunch, Simeon of Polotsk, What to cook for lunch? How to serve this or that dish? What needs to be done to make lunch tasty, varied and at the same time healthy? You will find answers to these and many other questions in... Category:
What could be simpler than such concepts as breakfast, lunch, dinner in English? It turns out that in addition to translation: breakfast,dinner, supper There are certain cultural nuances that can mislead our brother. Such nuances appear especially clearly in American English, which has other words associated with meal times: lunch, brunch.
Let's discuss the points related to meal timing here. We'll also talk about some other aspects of eating in North America. Some things will be a revelation to you.
As a warm-up, I’ll probably start with common words that mean “food”, “eating”, “food”, “cuisine”.
The most common word that means "edible foods" is " food".
When you mean " food products" or "food industry" use the word " foods" or " food products"The word foods often appears in the names of companies that produce food: Kraft Foods, Tyson Foods.
Foods is often used to describe a variety of food products:
In Italy there is a large variety of foods: pasta, pizza, salami.
When talking about what is cooked in different regions or countries, use the word cooking. From here: cooking book- cookbook. But, for example, a book with the title French Cooking will be more likely “Recipes from France” or “French Cuisine”.
For a more elegant description of cooking methods, you can use the French word " cuisine" .
In no case do not use English word kitchen meaning "cooking". Kitchen- the kitchen is the place where we prepare food.
A "dish", as in what is served at the table, is dish. For example, cold dishes- cold dishes, favorite dish- favorite dish. "Dish" meaning "plate" - plate.
Next, let us remember one thing interesting word, which is difficult to find an equivalent in Russian. This word " meal". Meal- the meal itself. The closest meaning to this word is the Russian “meal”. For example:
It's important to have 3 meals daily. - It is important to eat three times a day.
I am inviting you over for a meal. - I invite you to visit for lunch or dinner (a.k.a: I invite you to share a meal).
Meal indicates the process of eating, but does not indicate the time when this “ritual” will take place.
I think we are sufficiently prepared. Now let's move on to the essence of our lesson: let's talk about breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, supper.
Breakfast
In America, the first meal of the day is breakfast or breakfast. This word comes from the expression to break the fast - that is, to break the fast or take a quick meal for the first time after fasting. In America, the time boundaries of the concept of breakfast are very clear: breakfast - eating between 7 and 10 am.
Lunch
Lunch- lunch in the USA - eating from noon to two o'clock in the afternoon. American lunch consists of light dishes (salads, sandwiches). In America, it is not customary to pump yourself up with soups or pieces of meat during lunch. If you are invited to lunch at a restaurant, then we will serve you first, second + dessert.
Brunch
Such an interesting word brunch- it's breakfast and lunch in one. Americans call brunch a brunch on the weekend, when breakfast can turn into lunch in time. During the brunch you will be offered egg omelettes, pancakes, burgers and some other light hot dishes.
Dinner
In the evening - from six to eight o'clock in the evening - it is time to have dinner. Dinner- dinner in America - also has certain nuances:
buffet dinner- self-service dinner or buffet
sit-down dinner– feast (that is, a regular dinner when you dine at the table in the company of several people)
Supper
Contrary to what American English textbooks teach us, in the USA there is still a word supper, which means late dinner - eating after 10 pm. You will hear this word in the southern states and Canada.
Now let's turn to some interesting points that often mislead new immigrants or visitors to America.
If you are invited to a cup of coffee or a cup of tea, don't expect anything more than a cup of coffee or a cup of tea. Cookies or a piece of cake can be added to the drink. Such an invitation does not include appetizers, salads, etc. Why is this happening? It’s just that the Americans invite you to visit between lunch and dinner. In America, people are not expected to eat heavily between two meals (lunch and dinner).
Another feature of visiting American friends is that it will be normal for them if you “ask” for food. In other words, if you come for a cup of tea on an empty stomach, do not hesitate to admit that you are hungry. They will immediately prepare something for you and serve it to you.
By the way, in the USA and Canada it is customary for guests to wait for an invitation to eat. If there is no such invitation, start eating after the owners of the house have started eating.
Sometimes you may be invited for a cocktail after work - the so-called 5-to-7 cocktail or 5-to-7 drinks. Such trips to the bar will be suggested to you by your work colleagues. During these happy hours, you can drink a glass of beer or some wine. Getting full is very bad form.
By the way, in America no one is forced to drink alcoholic beverages. They may offer it to you. But it's worth telling you" I don't drink" or " I don't drink alcohol", and no one will insist anymore.
Another important point: in America everyone is responsible for their actions. If someone allowed himself too much (too much alcohol) or began to behave rudely, people will not look down and look for excuses for such behavior (such as “Poor guy, he drank too much”). Such a person will be considered a boor, and next time they will simply not be invited to a party or a party.
To others important point For Americans, when it comes to food, it is a desire to communicate. Such a desire to communicate is higher than the desire to show the well-being of the owner of the house through an abundant table filled with food. Therefore, the scarcity of the table is not the greed of Americans, but a focus on communication and meeting people.
I’ll end my story about food with some interesting observations that are typical of America and Americans:
- Americans usually drink lunch and dinner with cold water, to which ice is sometimes added.
- The words water, tap water in English mean only ordinary water. If you want another non-alcoholic drink, please specify: mineral water, soda water, juice, or a soft drink.
- When ordering tea, be sure to specify (especially in summer) whether you want hot or iced tea (“hot tea” or “ice tea”).
- Pastries and cakes are always eaten with a fork, not a spoon.
- If the name of a dish contains the word hot, this may indicate both a “hot dish” (hot hors d'oeuvres) and a spicy one: hot sauce for shrimp - spicy sauce for shrimp.
- Salad most often consists of greens and vegetables (this is not a Russian salad with sour cream).
- Americans do not eat lard because of its high fat content and high calorie content.
- Cutlets in English does not mean “cutlets”, they are “chops” or “escalopes”. They simply don’t make Russian cutlets in America. But you will find “meatballs” and “croquettes” (meatballs).
- Recipe is translated into Russian as “recipe”. In English, a recipe has only culinary meaning. A prescription written by a doctor will be a prescription in English, not a recipe!