dining hall
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dining hall
A large room in a public institution such as a hotel, school, hospital, or barracks, used for many people to eat their meals together.
Das Abendessen wird pünktlich um 18 Uhr im Speisesaal serviert.
Dinner is served punctually at 6 p.m. in the dining hall.
'Speisesaal' (dining hall) is made up of 'die Speise' (food/meal) and 'der Saal' (a large room). The 'n' in between is a linking element. Literally, then, it is a 'food hall' or 'meal hall'.
Alle Hotelgäste treffen sich zum Frühstück im großen Speisesaal.
All hotel guests meet for breakfast in the large dining hall.
Use 'in' with the dative to describe location ('im Speisesaal' = in the dining hall), and with the accusative to indicate direction ('in den Speisesaal' = into the dining hall).
Die Schüler essen im Speisesaal zu Mittag.
The students eat lunch in the dining hall.
This word is typically used for large, communal dining rooms in institutions such as hotels, youth hostels, hospitals, or company cafeterias.
In der Jugendherberge gibt es einen Speisesaal für alle Gäste.
In the youth hostel, there is a dining hall for all guests.
canteen / cafeteria
Kantine and Speisesaal can both refer to a place where people eat together. Speisesaal primarily refers to the large room, whereas Kantine refers to the facility for serving and eating meals. When you are talking only about the room, Speisesaal is more precise.
Nach der Ausgabe setzten sich die Schüler im großen Speisesaal zum Essen hin.
After the meals were served, the students sat down to eat in the large dining hall.
In der Kantine der Schule können die Schüler ein warmes Mittagessen kaufen und essen.
At the school canteen, students can buy and eat a hot lunch.
