dish
gb/dˈɪʃ/ us/dˈɪʃ/
A1
English
~ 2800
tál, tányér, étel, fogás, jó pasi, jó nő, pletykál, kitálal, tálal, mer, szed
NOUN
A1
1
Usage pattern:
[someone] puts [food] in [a dish]
She placed the salad in a large serving dish.
A salátát egy nagy tálalótálba tette.
The soup spilled over the edge of the dish.
A leves kifolyt a tál peremén át.
He handed me a dish of fresh strawberries.
Learner examples
I put rice on the dish.
A rizst a tányérra tettem.
The dish is on the table.
A tál az asztalon van.
She washes the dish after dinner.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'dish' with 'plate'. A plate is flat, while a dish can be flat or slightly deep and is a more general term.
Meaning
Shallow container for food
Collocations
wash the dishes
|dirty dish
|serving dish
|dish rack
|dish towel
Synonyms
plate (Often refers to a flat dish used for individual servings.)
Antonyms
bowl (A deeper container for food, usually used for liquids or loose items.)
Themes
daily life
|food
|food_drink
|daily_life
|housing
Definition
A shallow container, usually round, used to hold or serve food.
A shallow, typically round container used for serving or holding food.
NOUN
A2
2
Usage pattern:
[someone] prepares [a dish]
Sushi is my favorite Japanese dish.
A szusi a kedvenc japán ételem.
The restaurant's signature dish is roasted lamb.
Az étterem jellegzetes fogása a báránysült.
We tried a new pasta dish last night.
Learner examples
Pizza is my favorite dish.
A pizza a kedvenc ételem.
This dish is very spicy.
Ez az étel nagyon csípős.
He cooks a special fish dish.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'dish' with 'plate' when talking about food they like; 'dish' refers to the type of food, not the object it is on.
Meaning
Prepared food item
Collocations
main dish
|side dish
|traditional dish
|signature dish
|favorite dish
Synonyms
meal (Refers to the whole eating occasion, not just one prepared food item.)
Antonyms
drink (Refers to a liquid consumed rather than solid food.)
Themes
food
|daily life
|food_drink
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A type of food made in a special way for eating.
A particular type of food prepared in a specific way and served as part of a meal.
NOUN
B2
INFORMAL
3
Usage pattern:
[someone] is a real dish
Wow, your new boyfriend is quite a dish!
Hű, az új barátod igazán jó pasi!
She walked into the party looking like a real dish.
Úgy lépett be a buliba, mint egy igazi jó nő.
Back in college, he was considered a real dish.
Learner examples
He is a real dish.
Ő aztán igazi jó pasi.
She thinks her friend is a dish.
Szerinte a barátnője jó nő.
The actor is a dish in that movie.
Common mistake:
Learners may try to use this in formal writing; it should be avoided outside informal contexts.
Meaning
Attractive person (informal)
Collocations
real dish
Synonyms
babe (Informal and sometimes more sexualized than 'dish'.)
Antonyms
plain-looking person (Someone not considered physically attractive.)
Themes
appearance
|informal
|relationships
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Definition
An informal word for a very good-looking person.
An informal term for someone considered physically attractive.
VERB
B2
INFORMAL
4
Usage pattern:
[someone] dishes [information/gossip] (about [someone/something])
Come on, dish! What happened at the party?
Na, tálalj ki! Mi történt a buliban?
She loves to dish about her coworkers.
Imád a munkatársairól pletykálni.
They were dishing the latest celebrity scandals.
Learner examples
Please dish about the meeting.
Kérlek, mesélj el minden pletykát a megbeszélésről.
She likes to dish about her friends.
Szeret a barátairól pletykálni.
He dishes about famous people.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'dish' in this sense with its literal meaning related to food; context usually makes it clear.
Meaning
Share gossip or information
Collocations
dish the dirt
Synonyms
gossip (More general and can be used as both noun and verb.)
Antonyms
keep quiet (To not share information or gossip.)
Themes
communication
|informal
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To tell interesting or secret information about people.
To tell gossip or reveal personal or sensational information about someone or something.
VERB
A2
5
Usage pattern:
[someone] dishes [food] (onto/into [something])
She dished the pasta onto each plate.
Minden tányérra szedett a tésztából.
He dished out generous portions of stew.
Bőséges adagokat szedett a pörköltből.
The chef was dishing up meals for the guests.
Learner examples
She dishes rice onto my plate.
Rizst szed a tányéromra.
He dishes soup into bowls.
Levest mer a tálakba.
They dish pasta for everyone.
Meaning
Serve food onto plates
Collocations
dish up dinner
Synonyms
serve ('Serve' is more general and formal; 'dish' is often used in casual contexts with food.)
Antonyms
clear away plates (To remove plates after eating rather than putting food on them.)
Themes
food
|daily life
|food_drink
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To put food on plates for people to eat.
To serve food by placing it onto plates or into dishes for eating.
Grammar
Dictionary form
dish
IPA
GB/dˈɪʃ/
US/dˈɪʃ/
Syllables & stress
dish (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (dish)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: dish
- Plural: dishes
Verb
- Base: dish
- 3rd Person Singular: dishes
- Present Participle: dishing
- Past: dished
Word family
Forms
dishes
noun
dishing
verb
dished
verb
Core family
dishwasher
noun A2
Related words
dishcloth
noun
dishware
noun
Advanced or less common
dishy
adjective
Expressions
dish out
1/dˈɪʃ ˈaʊt/
phrasal verb
Give out something forcefully or generously
To give something, like food or criticism, to many people.
Examples
- The teacher dished out extra homework to the whole class.
- They were dishing out free samples at the store.
dish up
1/dˈɪʃ ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
Serve prepared food onto plates
To put cooked food on plates ready to eat.
Examples
- She dished up the soup and passed it around.
- They dished up plates of pasta for the guests.
dish the dirt
1/dˈɪʃ ðə dˈɚt/
idiom
informal
Share gossip or scandalous details
To tell bad or secret things about someone.
Examples
- Come on, dish the dirt! What did he say?
- Come on, let’s get coffee and dish the dirt about the party.
- The magazine loves to dish the dirt on celebrities.
- The article dishes the dirt on life inside the royal family.
- They love to sit around and dish the dirt on their coworkers.