dinner
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dinner
A festive or formal evening meal, often for a special occasion or with guests. The term is often used to emphasize the meal as a social event.
Wir sind am Samstag bei Freunden zum Dinner eingeladen.
We are invited to dinner at friends' place on Saturday.
'Dinner' is a loanword from English and sounds somewhat more elegant or festive than 'Abendessen' (evening meal/dinner). It emphasizes the social occasion, not just the meal itself.
Der Präsident gab zu Ehren seiner Gäste ein offizielles Dinner.
The president gave an official dinner in honor of his guests.
Common phrases are 'jemanden zum Dinner einladen' (to invite someone to dinner), 'ein Dinner geben' (to host/give a dinner), or 'ein romantisches Dinner' (a romantic dinner). A special form is the 'Candle-Light-Dinner' (candlelit dinner).
Er hat sie zu einem romantischen Dinner in ein teures Restaurant eingeladen.
He invited her to a romantic dinner at an expensive restaurant.
When someone goes to a dinner or invites someone to one, the preposition 'zu' is almost always used in the combination 'zum Dinner' (to dinner).
Wir gehen heute Abend zum Dinner bei unseren neuen Nachbarn.
We are going to dinner at our new neighbors' place this evening.
food / meal / eating
'das Essen' and 'das Dinner' can both refer to a meal. 'das Essen' is general and neutral. It fits everyday life, family, the cafeteria, or a restaurant. 'das Dinner' usually means a special or festive evening meal, often with guests or for an occasion. It sounds a bit more upscale and emphasizes the situation more than the food itself. For a normal evening meal at home, 'Essen' is more natural; for a formal invitation, 'Dinner' can fit.
Im Hotel beginnt das Dinner für die Gäste um acht Uhr.
At the hotel, dinner for the guests begins at eight o'clock.
Am Wochenende ist das Essen bei Frau Hofmann immer sehr gemütlich.
On weekends, the meal at Mrs. Hofmann's is always very cozy.