have dinner with

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "have dinner with" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when referring to the act of sharing a meal, typically in a social context, with someone else. Example: "I would love to have dinner with you this weekend to catch up."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

You have dinner with two girls.

The New Yorker

Have dinner with him.

The New York Times - Style

I have dinner with Melania and Barron.

The New York Times

You could go have dinner with everyone.

The New York Times

Steve Jobs does not have dinner with Carl Icahn".

The New York Times

I didn't have dinner with him.

The Washington Post

Read mail, have dinner with Ed.

The New York Times

I'd rather have dinner with him.

The Guardian - Music

"Who do you have dinner with, Charlie?" Mrs. DePaul asked.

The New Yorker

"I could go have dinner with anyone," she recalled thinking.

The New York Times

Tom Cruise's character wouldn't want to have dinner with you!

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "have dinner with" when you want to convey a casual and social sharing of a meal, emphasizing the interaction and company more than the specific act of eating.

Common error

Avoid constructing sentences that obscure who is initiating the dinner. Instead of "Dinner was had with friends", use "I had dinner with friends" for clarity and directness.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "have dinner with" primarily functions as a verb phrase, indicating a social activity involving eating dinner in the company of others. According to Ludwig, this phrase is grammatically correct and widely used.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Academia

15%

Science

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "have dinner with" is a very common and grammatically correct phrase used to describe the act of sharing a dinner meal with someone. Ludwig AI confirms its wide applicability and grammatical soundness. It is most frequently found in News & Media, Academic, and Scientific contexts. While alternatives like "dine with" or "share a meal with" exist, "have dinner with" strikes a balance between informality and clarity, making it suitable for a broad range of situations. Remember to avoid passive voice constructions for a more direct and clear expression. The phrase is versatile and consistently used across various authoritative sources, as highlighted by Ludwig.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

eat dinner with

A more literal and less idiomatic alternative.

go to dinner with

Highlights the action of going somewhere to have dinner with someone.

dine with

A more formal and less common alternative to "have dinner with".

have supper with

Replaces dinner with supper, which is common in some dialects or contexts.

share a meal with

Emphasizes the act of sharing food rather than just the social aspect of dining.

join for dinner

Focuses on the act of joining someone who is already having dinner.

break bread with

An idiom suggesting a friendly and often ceremonial sharing of food.

take dinner with

Implies escorting someone to dinner or a more active role in the event.

sup with

An older, somewhat archaic term for having supper or dinner with someone.

eat with

A very general term that lacks the specificity of a dinner setting.

FAQs

What can I say instead of "have dinner with"?

You can use alternatives like "dine with", "share a meal with", or "eat dinner with" depending on the context.

Is it grammatically correct to say "having dinner with"?

Yes, "having dinner with" is grammatically correct and often used in progressive tenses, such as "I am having dinner with my family tonight."

What's the difference between "have dinner with" and "eat with"?

"Have dinner with" specifies the meal being shared, implying a social occasion centered around dinner. "Eat with" is more general and doesn't necessarily imply a specific meal or social context.

How to use "have dinner with" in a sentence?

You can use "have dinner with" in various sentence structures, such as "I plan to have dinner with my colleagues" or "Would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow?"