have a meal — eat
collocationB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
to eat food, especially as part of breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Say it like a native
Textbook We consumed a meal together at the restaurant.
Native We had a meal together at the restaurant.
'Have a meal' is natural; 'consume a meal' sounds like a manual.
Pattern: have a meal (with someone/at a place)
In use
- We usually have a meal together as a family every evening.daily life
- In my country, it's common for people to have a meal with friends to celebrate special occasions.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ We took a meal at noon.
✓ We had a meal at noon.
You HAVE a meal (or 'have lunch/dinner'), not 'take' one.
Common collocations
have a meal— together, out, nice, a quick
Don't confuse it
Compared to 'eat,' 'have a meal' usually refers to a full breakfast, lunch, or dinner, not just a snack.