Definition

1. Verb phrase:
   • To eat at a restaurant: The phrase "ăn hiệu" specifically means to have a meal at a restaurant or a commercial eating establishment. It implies dining out rather than eating at home.

Usage Examples

• Verb phrase:
  • Cuối tuần này chúng tôi định đi ăn hiệu. (This weekend we plan to eat at a restaurant.)
  • Ăn hiệu thường xuyên thì tốn kém lắm. (Eating at restaurants regularly is very expensive.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase is somewhat dated or formal in modern Vietnamese. In contemporary speech, phrases like "đi ăn nhà hàng" (to go eat at a restaurant) or simply "đi ăn" (to go eat, implying out) are more common.

Variants and Related Words

• Ăn tiệm (verb phrase): A synonym meaning to eat at a shop or restaurant.

  • Tối qua tôi ăn tiệm. (Last night I ate at a restaurant.)

• Ăn quán (verb phrase): To eat at a food stall or small eatery.

  • Sinh viên hay ăn quán cho rẻ. (Students often eat at small eateries because it's cheap.)

Synonyms

• Dine out: To eat a meal away from home, typically at a restaurant.
• Eat out: A more casual term for having a meal at a restaurant.

Notes on Usage

• "Ăn hiệu" is a fixed phrase. The word "hiệu" in this context is a Sino-Vietnamese word meaning "shop" or "establishment." It is not commonly used in modern Vietnamese to form new phrases related to dining.