Definition

1. Verb phrase:
   • To eat snacks / to have a snack: The primary meaning refers to consuming small portions of food, often tasty or sweet items, between main meals. It implies casual, light eating.
   • To eat street food / to eat treats: Often specifically refers to eating inexpensive, ready-to-eat foods or sweets purchased from street vendors or markets.

Usage Examples

• Verb phrase:
  • Trẻ con thích ăn quà trước bữa tối. (Children like to eat snacks before dinner.)
  • Chúng tôi dừng lại bên đường để ăn quà. (We stopped by the roadside to have some street food.)
  • Ăn quà nhiều có thể làm mất cảm giác ngon miệng trong bữa chính. (Eating too many snacks can spoil your appetite for the main meal.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase often carries a connotation of informal, pleasurable eating, sometimes seen as an indulgence, especially for children.
• It can be used to describe a habitual activity, e.g., (the habit of snacking).

Variants and Related Words

• Ăn vặt (verb phrase): This is a very close synonym, also meaning "to snack" or "to eat light food between meals."
  • Cô ấy hay ăn vặt lúc xem phim. (She often snacks while watching movies.)

Synonyms

• To snack: To eat a small amount of food between meals.
• To have a bite: To eat a small, informal meal or snack.

Related Idioms

• Ăn quà vặt: This is a reinforced form emphasizing the consumption of miscellaneous light foods or junk food.
  • Mẹ tôi không cho phép tôi ăn quà vặt. (My mother doesn't allow me to eat junk food.)