Why no determiner in "Cook dinner"?

[Torenable]

Hi, everyone

How are you doing today?~

I found a dinner-use question, "we are cooking dinner", when I read a passage. This is what I've never thought before.

I want to know why there's no determiner in front of the "dinner". Is that word a uncountable noun or something else?

Thanks.

Richard

[Molly]

Usually, "cooking the dinner" refers to a special dinner cooked to celebrate or mark something. Normally, day-to-day meals are referred to as "have /cook/eat breakfast/lunch/dinner". Saying that, I have heard quite a few speakers use "cooking the dinner" in reference to the day-to-day meal.

[Torenable]

Thanks Molly

From your reply, I think that "cook dinner" sounds like a custom.

How about "cook a dinner"? Dose it equate to "cook dinner"?

Regards

Richard

[Molly]

[Torenable]

OK, I got it.

Thanks a lot!

[Molly]

You're welcome.