meal
/miːl/noun
उच्चारण मील
भोजन
Basic word
- 1
[C]
an occasion when people sit down to eat food, especially breakfast, lunch or dinner; the food that is eaten at a meal
भोजन
- three meals a day
- Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
- They cooked a simple meal of rice and dal.
+ 1 more example
- The hotel offers three meals a day.
§Structures (grammar patterns) 4
have / eat / cook a meal
Meal is a countable noun for an occasion of eating. The natural verbs are have, eat, cook, prepare and skip.
Meal खाने के अवसर का countable noun है। स्वाभाविक क्रियाएँ have, eat, cook, prepare और skip हैं।
- We have three meals a day.
- Radhika cooked a simple meal for the guests.
a meal of + food / a meal for + people
Use of for what the meal consists of, and for for the people or price.
भोजन में क्या है यह बताने के लिए 'of' और व्यक्तियों या कीमत के लिए 'for' आता है।
- They shared a meal of rice, dal and pickle.
- A meal for four costs about Rs 800.
at / during / after / before a meal
Time words are used without the article only for named meals: at breakfast, but at a meal, after the meal.
Time words के साथ नामित भोजन (breakfast, lunch, dinner) में article नहीं आता, पर सामान्य 'meal' के साथ आता है: at a meal, after the meal।
- Take this tablet after every meal.
- He read the paper during breakfast.
meal (idioms and phrases)
A square meal is a full, satisfying meal; make a meal of something means to spend too much effort on a simple task.
A square meal पूरा संतोषजनक भोजन है; 'make a meal of something' का अर्थ किसी साधारण काम में ज़रूरत से अधिक मेहनत करना है।
- The beggar had not eaten a square meal for days.
- Don't make a meal of it; the task is easy.
+Collocations 5
adjective + meal
lightheavyhotbalancedthree-course
- A light meal is better before sleeping.
verb + meal
haveskipprepareserveenjoy
- Never skip a meal during exam days.
meal + noun
timeplanticketvoucherbreak
- The meal break lasts for forty minutes.
noun + meal
schoolfamilyeveningmiddaymid-day
- The mid-day meal scheme feeds millions of school children.
meal + of the day
the main mealthe last mealthe first mealthe best meal
- Dinner is the main meal of the day in many Indian homes.
“More examples 6
- The mid-day meal scheme provides a hot meal to children in government schools.
मध्याह्न भोजन योजना सरकारी स्कूलों के बच्चों को गरम भोजन उपलब्ध कराती है।
- Breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day.
नाश्ते को दिन का सबसे महत्त्वपूर्ण भोजन माना जाता है।
- We had a simple meal of khichdi and curd.
हमने खिचड़ी और दही का सादा भोजन किया।
- After the meal, the family sat together and watched television.
भोजन के बाद परिवार साथ बैठकर टेलीविज़न देखता रहा।
- Radhika's grandmother cooked a special meal for Diwali.
राधिका की दादी ने दीवाली के लिए विशेष भोजन बनाया।
- A hot meal is served to every child in the school at noon.
स्कूल में हर बच्चे को दोपहर में गरम भोजन परोसा जाता है।
!Common mistakes 1
✗ Have you taken your meal?
✓ Have you had your meal?
In English, meals are had or eaten, not taken (the verb take is used for medicines).
अंग्रेज़ी में भोजन 'had' या 'eaten' होता है, 'taken' नहीं (take दवा के लिए आता है)।
¶Idioms 1
a square meal
a large and healthy meal
भरपेट और पौष्टिक भोजन
- The children hadn't had a square meal for days.
- What you need is a good square meal.
◇Word family
?Which word?
Keep the meal words: breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, feast, banquet, picnic.
भोजन के शब्द याद रखिए: breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, feast, banquet, picnic।
§Grammar and usage
Usage: piecemeal means done gradually, in parts ('a piecemeal approach').
प्रयोग में piecemeal का अर्थ धीरे-धीरे, टुकड़ों में किया गया है ('a piecemeal approach')।
“Collocations, idioms and sayings
Make a meal of sth (spend more time or effort on something than is necessary), a square meal (a large, healthy meal), meal ticket (a person or thing that gives you money or support).
Idioms अक्सर पूछे जाते हैं: make a meal of sth (किसी चीज़ पर ज़रूरत से अधिक समय या प्रयास लगाना), a square meal (भरपेट, पौष्टिक भोजन), meal ticket (पैसा या सहारा देने वाला व्यक्ति या चीज़)।