All meals in English: what they are called

Why do characters in movies go to dinner in the evening, but textbooks say that it is lunch? And how does lunch differ from supper? The names of meals in English often confuse even those who have been learning the language for a long time. Add to this brunch, elevenses and afternoon tea and confusion becomes almost inevitable. Meanwhile, these words are constantly used in everyday speech, traveling, restaurants and business communication. In order not to get lost in dialogs and correctly understand interlocutors, it is important to understand what meals exist and what they are called in English. In this article you will find clear explanations and examples for each option.

The first meal of the day in English is called breakfast. This word comes from the expression to break the fast p - “to break the fast”, that is, to eat after a night's sleep. Breakfast is considered an important meal in both British and American culture, so the word breakfast is used very often: in menus, dialogues, hotels and everyday speech.

This meal is usually eaten in the morning hours, most often between 7am and 10am, although the exact time can vary depending on lifestyle and country. When studying the topic “meals in English” it is breakfast that you should memorize first, as it is a basic and universal name.
In spoken English, the following expressions are often used:

• Have breakfast
• Skip breakfast
• Breakfast time
• Breakfast menu

Thus, breakfast is a standard term for a morning meal in English, which is used in all situations: from everyday life to traveling.

Elevenses is a small additional meal in the English tradition, which falls around 11 am. In meaning, it is a light snack between breakfast and lunch. The name is derived from the word eleven - “eleven”, that is, the time it is held.
This meal is particularly characteristic of the UK and is more common in an office environment or in a classic routine. It usually consists of a cup of tea or coffee and something small: a cookie, scone, toast or fruit.
It is important to realize that elevenses is not a full meal, but rather a short pause to restore energy. The word is rarely used in spoken English, but you may encounter it:

• In British books and movies;
• In descriptions of daily routines;
• In travel materials;
• In the context of the traditional British way of life.

To put it simply, elevenses are the official English version of a morning snack. Knowing the term will help you better understand how meals are organized in British culture and why there is sometimes a separate pause between breakfast and lunch.

Brunch is a meal that combines breakfast and lunch. The word itself is derived from breakfast and lunch, so it is easy to remember. This meal format usually falls between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. and is especially popular on weekends.
Brunch is convenient because it replaces two meals at once. People who get up late often skip breakfast and go straight to brunch. In English speech, this word is used very actively, especially in urban contexts, restaurants and among young people.
For example, the phrase Let's have brunch on Sunday means an invitation to meet for a late breakfast-lunch.
If you are studying meals in English, the word brunch is definitely worth memorizing, as it does not have an exact analog in Russian, but it is used very often in modern speech.

Lunch is the main meal of the day, that is lunch in English. It usually falls between 12 and 14 hours and is considered a standard working break for meals in many countries.
In everyday speech, the word lunch is used all the time: in offices, schools, restaurants, traveling and business correspondence. If you are invited to a business lunch, it is a business lunch.
Here are some practical examples where you will definitely encounter this word:

• Lunch break
• Lunch menu
• Have lunch
• Lunch meeting - a meeting during lunch

It is important not to confuse lunch with dinner. In American English, lunch always means a daytime meal and dinner always means an evening meal. In British English, these boundaries can sometimes shift, as we will discuss next.

Afternoon tea is a traditional British meal that takes place in the afternoon, usually between 16:00 and 17:00. Despite the word tea in the name, it is not just a drink, but a small meal between lunch and dinner.
Usually tea and light snacks like sandwiches, scones, cookies or desserts are served at this time. It is not a full meal, but rather a cultural tradition and a convenient pause during the day. In the UK, afternoon tea is perceived as a separate meal with its own rules and even etiquette, and hotels and cafes often offer it as a separate service format.
Colloquially, the phrase go for afternoon tea does not simply mean “to have tea”, but specifically a planned snack at a specific time. For those studying meals in English, this term is important to properly understand invitations, menus and the peculiarities of the British way of life.

Dinner is one of the most “tricky” terms in the topic of meals in English, because its meaning depends on the country and context. Technically, it is the main meal of the day, but exactly when it is eaten depends on the variant of English.
In American English, dinner almost always means supper, which is an evening meal after work, usually between 6 and 8 pm. If you're invited to dinner in the US, it is the evening meal.
In British English, things are a little more complicated. Here, the word dinner can refer to either an evening meal or the main hot meal of the day, especially in schools, small towns and traditional families. For example, the expression school dinner in the UK means lunch at school, not dinner.
It is because of this word that there is often confusion between lunch, dinner and supper. Therefore, when learning about meals in English, it is important not just to memorize the translation, but to understand the country and situation in which the term is used.

Supper is another word for evening meal, but it is not used as universally as dinner. Most commonly found in British English, supper means a light dinner late at night.
In the United States, the word is used less frequently and mostly in colloquial speech, especially in rural areas or in a family context. Usually supper is not the main solid meal, but a simpler and lighter version of the evening meal.
To visualize the difference between the main evening and daytime meals, let's compare key terms:

Contact with us

сlients@bebestschool.com

We are in the social networks: