Free lunch Meaning in English

expression

US

ˈfɹi/ /ˈɫəntʃ

FREE-lunch

UK

fɹˈiː/ /lˈʌntʃ

free-LUNCH

Definition

A 'free lunch' can mean a meal given at no cost, but it is often used to say nothing is truly free—there is always a hidden cost or catch.

Usage & Nuances

Informal, often used in the phrase 'There’s no such thing as a free lunch' to warn that every offer has a hidden cost or obligation. Rarely refers to actual food; mostly metaphorical in modern English.

• Spanish: almuerzo gratis - comida gratis (sentido literal); nada es gratis (sentido figurado)
• Portuguese (BR): almoço grátis - almoço de graça (sentido literal); nada é de graça (sentido figurado)
• Portuguese (PT): almoço grátis - almoço de borla (sentido literal); nada é de graça (sentido figurado)
• Chinese (Simplified): 免费午餐 - 天下没有免费的午餐 (比喻用法)
• Chinese (Traditional): 免費午餐 - 天下沒有白喫的午餐 (比喻用法)
• Hindi: मुफ़्त दोपहर का खाना (शाब्दिक अर्थ) - मुफ्त में कुछ नहीं मिलता (मुहावरेदार अर्थ)
• Arabic: غداء مجاني (المعنى الحرفي) - لا شيء مجاني حقًا (المعنى المجازي)
• Bengali: বিনা খরচে খাবার - ফ্রি লাঞ্চ (রূপক অর্থে)
• Russian: бесплатный обед (буквально) - бесплатный сыр (метафорически)
• Japanese: 無料の昼食 - タダ飯（比喩的）
• Vietnamese: bữa trưa miễn phí - cơ hội miễn phí (nghĩa bóng)
• Korean: 공짜 점심 - 공짜 (비유적)
• Turkish: bedava öğle yemeği - karşılıksız teklif (mecazi olarak)
• Urdu: مفت دوپہر کا کھانا - مفت موقع (مجازاً)
• Indonesian: makan siang gratis - imbalan gratis (makna kiasan)

Example Sentences

At the event, they served a free lunch to all participants.

basic

The hotel offers a free lunch with every booking.

basic

He learned that there is no such thing as a free lunch.

basic

Remember, when someone promises you easy money, there’s probably no free lunch.

natural

She got a job perk, but soon realized it wasn’t really a free lunch—she had to work even harder.

natural

People love the idea of a free lunch, but there’s always a catch somewhere.

natural