Evenings at home have their own small language: "What's for dinner?", "Set the table," "Brush your teeth," "Lights out!" Learners often translate directly and say "What is the dinner today?", "Put the table," or "Close the light." Americans will usually understand, but these phrases sound unusual. Today you learn the natural words for dinnertime, cleaning up, and getting kids ready for bed, plus the warm phrases families say at night. In this episode: • What's for dinner? • At the table • Cleaning up • Bedtime • Invented scene: a weeknight evening • Practice • Self-check questions with answers Key phrases from this episode: What's for dinner? — what are we eating tonight? (casual) Dinner's almost ready. — a few minutes left (neutral) It smells amazing in here! — a kitchen compliment (casual) We're having leftovers. — food saved from an earlier meal (neutral) Let's just order in tonight. — get food delivered (casual) Dinner's ready, come and get it! — call to the table (casual) Wash your hands first. — a family rule (neutral) Can you set the table? — put out plates, forks and glasses (neutral) Can you pass the salt? — hand it to me (polite) Who wants seconds? — another serving (casual) I'm stuffed. — I'm very full (casual) Finish your veggies. — eat your vegetables (casual) Can I be excused? — may I leave the table? (polite) How was your day? — the classic dinner question (neutral) Let's clean up. — tidy after the meal (neutral) Clear the table. — take the dishes away (neutral) Put the leftovers in the fridge. — save the extra food (neutral) I'll wash, you dry. — sharing the dishes (casual) Season 2 · Real American English: the complete spoken course for learners worldwide — accent, everyday grammar, prepositions, articles, phrasal verbs, idioms, slang and real conversations at home. Listen, repeat out loud, then take the 52-question quiz. Audio voiced with AI from an original script by Dr. Rashmi R Nair.