make dinner
/meɪk ˈdɪnər/
Meaning
This phrase means to prepare or cook the final meal of the day. While 'cook dinner' is also correct, 'make dinner' is highly common in casual, everyday speech.
Examples
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What time are you going to make dinner tonight?
What time are you going to make dinner tonight?
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I'm too tired to make dinner, so let's order pizza.
I'm too tired to make dinner, so let's order pizza.
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My husband usually makes dinner on weekdays.
My husband usually makes dinner on weekdays.
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I need to buy some groceries so I can make dinner.
I need to buy some groceries so I can make dinner.
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It takes about thirty minutes to make dinner.
It takes about thirty minutes to make dinner.
Common Mistakes
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✗ I will do dinner for us tonight.
✓ I will make dinner for us tonight.
In English, we use 'make' or 'cook' for meals, never the verb 'do'.
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✗ She is making the dinner in the kitchen.
✓ She is making dinner in the kitchen.
Adding the definite article 'the' before 'dinner' is usually unnecessary and sounds unnatural when speaking about the general activity of preparing a meal.
Related Expressions
Practice
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I have some pasta and tomatoes, so I can ___ easily.
💡 Prepare the evening meal.
Show answer
make dinner
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Who is going to ___ tonight, you or me?
💡 Cook the last meal of the day.
Show answer
make dinner