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I decided to go out to eat.

I told my son.

"Tell mummy we are going out to eat."

"Tell mummy we are eating out."

Should I use outside or out in the context above?

2 Answers 2

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Your question relates to the following in the context of "we are going out(side) to eat".

Out vs outside

Some definitions:

out adverb 3.1 In or to a public place for purposes of pleasure or entertainment. ‘an evening out at a restaurant’ - ODO

outside preposition & adverb Situated or moving beyond the confines or boundaries of. ‘I stepped outside the marquee for a breather’ - ODO

*Going out to eat / eating out suggests going to a restaurant, whereas going outside to eat / eating outside suggests remaining at the property but not in the dwelling itself (e.g. eating on the balcony).

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First sentence: use out because you are using out as a part of phrasal verb not preposition.

Second sentence: You can use both but I usually say out because it's shorter.

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  • It's worth noting that you can eat outside without going out to eat, too. (In other words, you can walk outside your house and eat in the yard, say, at a picnic table.) So, yes, you can use both – but they don't mean the same thing.
    – J.R.
    Aug 22, 2017 at 6:29

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