go out for dinner

Meaning

This expression means to leave one's home to eat the evening meal at a restaurant or other dining establishment. It is a very common social activity used for dates, celebrations, or catching up with friends. It suggests a social event rather than just grabbing quick food.

Examples

• We decided to go out for dinner to celebrate our wedding anniversary.

  We decided to go out for dinner to celebrate our wedding anniversary.

• How about we go out for dinner tonight so you don't have to cook?

  How about we go out for dinner tonight so you don't have to cook?

• They usually go out for dinner on Friday nights to wind down after a busy week.

  They usually go out for dinner on Friday nights to wind down after a busy week.

• I'd love to go out for dinner with you sometime next week if you're free.

  I'd love to go out for dinner with you sometime next week if you're free.

• Instead of staying in, the whole family went out for dinner at a local Italian place.

  Instead of staying in, the whole family went out for dinner at a local Italian place.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ We went out for the dinner yesterday.

  ✓ We went out for dinner yesterday.

  Do not use the definite article 'the' before 'dinner' when speaking about the meal in a general social context.

• ✗ I want to go out to eat dinner.

  ✓ I want to go out for dinner.

  While understandable, 'go out for dinner' or 'go out to eat' are much more natural collocations than combining them into 'go out to eat dinner'.

Related Expressions

Practice

• Since it's your birthday, let's ___ at that new French restaurant.

  💡 dine at a restaurant to celebrate

  Show answer

  go out for dinner

• I don't feel like cooking tonight, so why don't we ___?

  💡 eat the evening meal at a restaurant

  Show answer

  go out for dinner