Why Native English Speakers Say "Have" When They Mean "Eat"
Has a waiter ever asked you “What will you have to drink?” Or have you ever heard a native English speaker say something like “I had a sandwich for lunch”?
Why didn’t they just say “I ate a sandwich”? And why didn't the waiter say “What will you drink”? Today, we’ll explain why “have” is used this way in English!
“Eat” and “drink” focus on an action
You should use “eat” and “drink” when you want to focus on the action of putting food or drinks into your mouth.
For example, if you saw a squirrel eating a nut, like in the photo below, you could simply say, “The squirrel is eating a nut.” However, if you said, "The squirrel is having a nut," it would sound very unnatural. But why?
“Have” focuses on an experience
Take a look at the following two sentences.
- We ate a nice lunch with some friends on Saturday.
- We had a nice lunch with some friends on Saturday.
The first sentence focuses on the food. “We ate a nice lunch” implies that the food was good. Maybe the food was tastier than the food you usually eat.
On the other hand, the second sentence isn't as focused on the food. “We had a nice lunch” could mean that the food was nice, but the food was only one part of the experience. The restaurant was probably nice as well, and you probably had an enjoyable time with your friends, like the people in the photo below.
So when you use “have,” the focus is not on the specific food and the action of eating or drinking it. Instead, you're speaking about more general things like the overall experience. This is similar to how we say "have a party" or "have a wedding." In all of these examples, we're referring to the complete experience.
Let's review:
| Eat/Drink | Have | |
| Refers to … | Either eating or drinking | Both eating and drinking |
| The focus is on … | The act of putting food or drinks in your mouth | The overall experience |
“Have” is used in polite requests and offers
Native English speakers also use “have” when offering and requesting food or drinks. This is because “have” is less specific, so it can be more polite than saying “eat” or “drink” directly.
For example, if you’re at someone’s house and you get thirsty, you could ask:
- Could I have something to drink, please?
And if you’re at a restaurant ordering coffee, you’d say:
- I’ll have coffee without milk, please. Thanks!
For more examples of people using “have” to order food and drinks, check out these Engoo lessons:
How to use “have” instead of “eat” or “drink”
There are two main methods for using “have” in this way.
1. “Have” + a meal
You can use “have” with the word “meal” or a type of meal, such as “dinner,” “lunch” or “breakfast.”
I’m having dinner with some high school friends later.
What time are you going to have lunch today?
She had a quick meal and went back to work.
2. “Have” + a food or drink
You can use “have” with a type of food.
I’ve had pizza for dinner every day this week.
We always have some ice cream for dessert.
You can also use “have” with drinks.
James has three cups of coffee every day.
I always have a glass of wine after dinner.
Could I have something to drink, please?
Something to remember
Keep in mind that “eat” can be used by itself, but “have” must be used with a meal or some type of food or drink.
For example, you can say, “I love eating,” but you can’t say, “I love having.” You have to be specific about what the person is having: “I love having a beer after work.”
Your turn!
Now, let’s get some practice! Reword the following sentences using “have.”
- Did you eat dinner already?
- I drank some drinks with friends today.
For the following sentences, only one can use “have.” Do you know which one it is?
- I eat really slowly.
- Finish drinking the milk before it expires!
- I ate breakfast at 7 a.m. this morning.
- Vegetarians don’t eat meat.
Need help with the answers? Or do you want to practice using “have” like this in a real conversation? Engoo tutors are available to help you with friendly chats any time of day. Give it a try!
