英语中常用的“吃”的单词为eat，但在实际应用中我们可以根据不同的场合，句中的不同的搭配选用不同的单词来表示“吃”，比如，常见用的动词take、have、like等等。
1.dine这个动词指“进餐；吃饭”，是一个正式用词。比如：We always dine out at weekends.我们周末总是在外吃饭。
We dined with my parents at a restaurant in town.我们同我父母在城里一家餐馆吃饭。Forty percent of motorists regularly dine while driving. 40%的汽车司机经常在开车的时候吃饭。
2.take可以同medicine搭配使用，指“吃，吃药”。比如：The doctor has given me some medicine to take for my cough.医生已给我开了治咳嗽的药吃。You must remind him to take his medicine, in case he forgets.你要盯着他吃药，别让他忘了。
3.have作为动词表示“吃”时，常与breakfast/lunch/dinner搭配使用。比如：I got up late this morning and did not have breakfast.我今天早晨起晚了，没吃早饭。
Come and have a meal with us tonight.今晚过来和我们一起吃晚饭吧。Let’s have dinner at Heping Restaurant tonight.今晚我们在和平饭店吃晚餐吧。
4.动词feed可以表达“吃，进食”。比如：When a baby is thirsty, it feeds more often.婴儿口渴时，吃奶更频繁。The baby can’t feed itself yet.这个婴儿还不能自己吃东西。Snails feed at night.蜗牛夜间进食。Let children feed themselves.让孩子自己吃吧。
像like、love、prefer等动词也可以表示吃。比如：Southerners prefer rice and northerners like foods made from flour.南方人喜欢吃米饭，北方人爱吃面食。I like apples and he loves bananas.我爱吃苹果，他爱吃香蕉。
