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For snack

Reborn34

Member
Portuguese
Hello Everyone,


Are these sentences commonly used by English native speakers?

1.I usually eat bread and drink soda for snack.
2.We´ll buy some food for snack.


Thank you in advance!
I would say no. I would say

1. I usually eat bread and drink soda as a snack.
2. We'll buy some food for snacking (possibly ...as a snack).

After the word "for" there should either be a gerund (snacking) or in some contexts some kind of article--though I can't think of an example right now, so it may not be very common.
Having something for snack is common around here. It's an expression used by schoolkids, in particular, to refer to something they take to school to be eaten at the mid-morning break.
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Having something for snack is common around here. It's an expression used by schoolkids, in particular, to refer to something they take to school to be eaten at the mid-morning break.

American English is different from Irish English in this way. AE speakers say "for snack".
Yes, that's why I wanted to be sure to say what "I would say". Dialects can vary so much in usage! I suppose, you would see "snack" as a kind of mealtime, as we might say "for dinner" or "for breakfast". It must be that we just see a snack as something to be eaten, but not so established... Perhaps.
I'm American. I would say "for snacks" or even use the verb "snack on", as in "I'll just snack on some bread."
I should add that it is spoken as one would speak of breakfast, lunch, dinner, etc. So a child going off on some kind of expedition may take food for snack and food for lunch.
__________________________

We also talk about a snack of course, just as described by cuchu. Snack, almost a term for a mid-morning meal, is only used by schoolkids.
A couple of additional comments

1. We use "snack" in AE as a verb as well.
<< Off topic comment removed by moderator. >>
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American English is different from Irish English in this way. AE speakers say "for snack".

When snack is a more-or-less regularly scheduled food break, a school kid, or a least a school kid in New York City, will ask a classmate "What did you bring for snack?"
When snack is a more-or-less regularly scheduled food break, a school kid, or a least a school kid in New York City, will ask a classmate "What did you bring for snack?"
Same in London. It's being used as if it were a meal or mealtime, as panjandrum pointed out, because it is eaten at the same time everyday, morning playtime/ break / snack (time).



But if you are thinking of eating something other than a meal at any time you feel hungry, then you talk about " a snack". " We'll have a snack for lunch ( or
"have a snack lunch" ) today "

HG
So, for "snack" we should use an article in front of it?

Eg: Do you eat rice for a snack?

I find it a bit confusing because for breakfast, lunch and dinner we don't use an article.

Do you eat rice for breakfast? Do you eat rice for lunch? Do you eat rice for dinner? Do you eat rice for a snack?

🥲
Welcome to the forum, Belchior!
One of the things I give thanks for is having English as my native language, because I doubt I'd be much good learning it. I fear this is just one of those inconsistencies that you just have to accept. Often there's no answer to "Why?". We can guess: perhaps simply because a snack is not a meal! But sometimes it is, just to confuse you further. You will hear younger schoolchildren talking about snack - "Ma! Please don't give me a banana again for snack." In this limited context, snack at breaktime is treated like a meal. 👁 Smile :)
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