みなさん、こんにちは！
今日は、カジュアルでとてもよく使われる英語フレーズをご紹介します。
それは「grab a bite to eat」です。
この表現は、「grab」という動詞と「eat」という2つの動詞が含まれているため、理解しにくいかもしれませんね。
ここでの「grab」は、「食べるために手に入れる」ことを意味し、それに「一口」という意味の「a bite」が組み合わされています。分かりにくいですよね！

grab a bite to eat: 軽く食べる

この表現を英語で使うとき、私たちがたくさん食べるつもりはなく、ちょっと小腹が空いていることを意味します。
おそらく、スナックやサンドイッチのような手軽なものを食べます。
もしちゃんとした食事をする予定であれば、「Let’s eat out tonight (今夜は外食しよう)」や「How about getting lunch today (今日はランチどうですか？)」などの表現を使うでしょう。

ここでは「grab a bite to eat」を使って、いくつか例文をご紹介します。

[例文1]

I’m getting pretty hungry. Shall we grab a quick bite to eat before we leave. We won’t have a chance to eat once we get on the train.
(そろそろかなりお腹が空いてきたな。出発する前に軽く食べようか。電車に乗ったら食べるチャンスがないからね。)

[例文2]

What time are you coming over?
(何時に来るの？)

I’ll be there soon but let me just grab a bite to eat first. I haven’t had breakfast this morning.
(もうすぐだけど、先に軽く何か食べてから行くよ。今朝は朝食を食べてないんだ。)

[例文3]

Oh nice. There’s a Seven Eleven up ahead. I’m just going to pop in and get a bite to eat. I’m starving!
(あ、いいね。前の方にセブンイレブンがある。ちょっと寄って何か軽く食べてくるよ。お腹ペコペコだ！)

「軽く食べる」と言いたい時に多くの言い方があるわけではありませんが、軽食やスナックだけをとることを伝えたい場合は、これらを使うことができます。

Whip up something quick

[意味]
手早く何か作る

[例文]
I’m so hungry but we don’t really have time before we head out.
(すごくお腹が空いたけど、出かける前にあまり時間ないね。)

No worries. We still have some leftovers from last night. I can whip us up something quick if you like.
(大丈夫。昨日の夜の残り物がまだあるよ。もしよければ、手早く何か作るよ。)

Have a quick snack

[意味]
ちょっとしたおやつを食べる

[例文]
I don't think this diet is going to last long. I can’t stand it. I’m going to have to have a quick snack before lunch!
(このダイエットは長続きしないと思う。我慢できない。ランチ前にちょっとしたおやつを食べないといけないと思う！)

Grab some food

[意味]
何か食べる

[例文]
It’s going to be a long drive. Shall we grab some food before we go?
(長いドライブになるね。出発する前に何か食べていこうか？)

このブログを書いている間に、私のお気に入りのシーンが頭に浮かびました。
それは父が大好きだったとてもおかしな昔のコメディー映画「裸の銃（ガン）を持つ男 (The Naked Gun)」のシーンです。
このシーンでは、2人の警察官が、攻撃されてかなり悪い状態にある同僚の妻に、犯人が捕まるまで誰も休まないと断言しながら、「Now let’s grab a bite to eat! (さあ、軽く何か食べよう！)」と言っています。

Hello everyone! Today I’m going to introduce an informal but very commonly used expression and that is “grab a bite to eat”. It may be a little difficult for people to understand because it contains two verbs “grab” which in this case just means get a “eat” but couple with “ a bite”. Confusing isn’t it! 

When we use this expression in English it is understood that we are probably not going to eat much and are just feeling a little peckish. We will probably just get something quick like a snack or sandwich. If we were going to go for a full meal, we would probably use expressions like “Let’s eat out tonight” or “How about getting lunch today”

Examples

• “I’m getting pretty hungry. Shall we grab a quick bite to eat before we leave. We won’t have a chance to eat once we get on the train.”

• “What time are you coming over?” 

“I’ll be there soon but let me just grab a bite to eat first. I haven’t had breakfast this morning.”

• “Oh nice. There’s a Seven Eleven up ahead. I’m just going to pop in and get a bite to eat. I’m starving!”

Similar Expression

There aren’t a huge number of varied expressions when it comes to using “grab a bite” to eat but if you want the person you are talking to to understand that you are only having a light meal or snack then you can use these. 

• Whip up something quick (this means to make food)

“I’m so hungry but we don’t really have time before we head out.” “No worries. We still have some leftovers from last night. I can whip us up something quick if you like. “

• Have a quick snack

“ I don't think this diet is going to last long. I can’t stand it. I’m going to have to have a quick snack before lunch!”

• Grab some food

“It’s going to be a long drive. Shall we grab some food before we go?” 

While writing this blog one of my favourite scenes from a very silly old comedy my dad used to love sprang to mind. The film is called “The Naked Gun” and in this scene two police officers are assuring the wife of a colleague who has been attacked and is in rather bad condition that no man will rest until his attacker has been caught but ending that conversation with “Now let’s grab a bite to eat!” 

Take a look here.  Grab a bite

Jaimie