how about lunch

USAGE SUMMARY

"How about lunch?" is correct and usable in written English.
It is a polite way of offering someone lunch or asking someone if they would like to get lunch. For example, you could text someone: "Hey, what are you doing for lunch today? How about lunch?".

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

But how about lunch?

The Guardian - Books

How about lunch?

BBC

How about lunch?" "Great".

Vice

If you want to know them, ask them like "So wanna stay with us at lunch? " or "How about lunch together?" or "We're going, wanna come?" If they say sorry, or no, Then just say something like "cool".

WikiHow

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

How's about lunch?

The Guardian - Lifestyle

How about paid lunches monthly?

Forbes

How about a private lunch with Vera Wang, followed by a visit to her boutique for a $10,000 shopping spree?

Huffington Post

That's what we watch when we're done at the end of the day.' I said, 'Get out.' And he said, 'Really.' So I said, 'if you win, how about we have lunch in the rose garden?' and he said, 'You're on.' I'm still waiting for that call".

Huffington Post

If they come up to you in the corridor, saying "How about we get some lunch, I could tell your friends about that time in primary when... ...... you just say, sorry we're busy, or, we just ate.

WikiHow

So how about hosting an easy lunch or glasses of Sancerre for the Three Amigos-to-Be before your next meeting?

The New York Times

How about we make your lunch together in the evening and make sure Autonomy gets to do what it wants so it's ready to go to bed? Summer is really good family time.

Harvard University

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When suggesting lunch, consider adding a specific time or location to make the invitation more concrete. For example, "How about lunch at noon at the new cafe downtown?"

Common error

Avoid using "how about lunch" in highly formal or business communications. Opt for more professional alternatives like "Would you be available for a lunch meeting?" or "I would like to invite you to lunch".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "how about lunch" functions as an invitation or suggestion to have lunch. It's a common way to propose a meal and is considered polite and relatively informal. As confirmed by Ludwig, it is a correct and usable phrase.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Wiki

30%

Formal & Business

20%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Science

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "how about lunch" is a grammatically correct and commonly used phrase to suggest or invite someone to have lunch. It is deemed appropriate across various contexts, particularly in news and media, as well as in informal settings. According to Ludwig, this phrase is a polite way of offering lunch or asking someone if they would like to get lunch. While it's versatile, it should be used cautiously in strictly formal situations, where alternatives might be more suitable. Numerous related phrases can be used depending on the context and desired level of formality.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

what about getting lunch

Slightly more direct and emphasizes the action of getting lunch.

want to grab some lunch

Informal and focuses on the casual aspect of having lunch.

how does lunch sound

Asks for an opinion on the idea of having lunch.

lunch, perhaps

More concise and informal way to suggest lunch.

are you free for lunch

Inquires about availability specifically for lunch.

join me for lunch

An invitation to have lunch together.

shall we have lunch

More formal way to propose having lunch.

fancy some lunch

British English equivalent, asking if someone desires lunch.

lunch on you

Suggests treating someone to lunch.

let's do lunch

Common idiom for planning lunch at a later, unspecified time.

FAQs

What's a more formal alternative to "how about lunch"?

In professional settings, use phrases like "Would you be available for a lunch meeting?" or "I'd like to invite you to lunch sometime" for a more formal tone.

How can I make a "how about lunch" invitation more specific?

To make the invitation more concrete, include a specific time and place, such as "How about lunch at the cafe on Main Street at 1 PM?"

Is "how about lunch" appropriate in business emails?

It depends on your relationship with the recipient. If you're well-acquainted, it's fine. Otherwise, use a more formal phrase like "Would you be interested in having lunch to discuss...?".

What's the difference between "how about lunch" and "let's have lunch"?

"How about lunch" is a suggestion or inquiry, while "let's have lunch" is a proposition, indicating a stronger intention to make it happen.