Dinnertime is the time of day when you have dinner. The messy truth is what dinner means.

Dinnertimedinnertime（吃正餐的時間） is the time of day when you have dinner指的是一天中吃dinner的那個時間。The messy truth is麻煩的地方在於 what dinner meansdinner到底是指哪一餐。

In much of Britain, especially in older or working-class talk, dinner is the main meal in the middle of the day, so dinnertime can mean around noon — what many learners call lunchtime. In American English, and for a lot of younger British speakers too, dinner is the evening meal, so dinnertime is early evening.

In much of Britain, especially in older or working-class talk在英國大部分地方，尤其是比較年長的人或勞工階層的講法裡，dinner is the main meal in the middle of the daydinner指的是中午那一頓正餐，so dinnertime can mean around noon所以dinnertime可能是指中午前後 — what many learners call lunchtime也就是很多學習者以為的lunchtime（午餐時間）。In American English, and for a lot of younger British speakers too在美式英語裡，還有很多比較年輕的英國人也是，dinner is the evening mealdinner指的是晚上那一餐，so dinnertime is early evening所以dinnertime是傍晚時分。

Taiwan students almost always picture 晚餐; that fits US English, but a British story that says 'Come home at dinnertime' may mean midday.

Taiwan students almost always picture 晚餐台灣學生幾乎都會直接想到晚餐，that fits US English這符合美式英語，but a British story that says 'Come home at dinnertime'但英國故事裡如果說『Come home at dinnertime』（在dinnertime回家） may mean midday可能指的是中午。

The word itself is simply the compound dinner + time, like bedtime or lunchtime. Though actually, even inside one family people disagree: one house has dinnertime at twelve, the next at seven.

The word itself is simply the compound dinner + time這個字本身就是dinner加time組成的複合詞，like bedtime or lunchtime就像bedtime（睡覺時間）或lunchtime（午餐時間）一樣。Though actually, even inside one family people disagree不過其實，就算在同一個家庭裡，大家講的也不一樣：one house has dinnertime at twelve, the next at seven這家dinnertime是十二點，隔壁家卻是七點。