1 A2 neutral
To eat a meal at home rather than going to a restaurant.
"We decided to dine in tonight and cook a proper Italian meal."
dine in
A2 neutral intransitive
To eat a meal at home rather than going to a restaurant.
In plain English
To eat your dinner at home instead of going to a restaurant.
What does "dine in" mean?
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To dine inside (one's own home).
Actually means
To eat your dinner at home instead of going to a restaurant.
Usage tip
Neutral, widely understood phrase. Often contrasted with 'dine out'. Became especially common during the COVID-19 pandemic as restaurants closed. Slightly more formal than 'eat in'.
Words that pair with "dine in"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
tonight weekend home kitchen takeaway cook
How to conjugate "dine in"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
dine in
I/you/we/they
3rd person
dines in
he/she/it
Past simple
dined in
yesterday
Past participle
dined in
have + pp
-ing form
dining in
continuous
Hear "dine in" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "dine in" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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