ir al cine
/iɾ al θine/from spelling rules
The English phrase "go to the movies" is translated into Spanish as ir al cine.
Ir al cine is the most common and widely used way to express the idea of going to watch a film in Spanish. When you are at the cinema, you might need to use the word entradas to refer to your tickets.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase ir al cine is a contraction of ir a el cine, which literally means "to go to the cinema".
Which one should you use?
While English speakers often use the plural "the movies", Spanish speakers use the singular el cine (the cinema) to refer to both the venue and the activity itself.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb ir must be conjugated to match the subject of your sentence. For example, you would say voy al cine for "I go to the movies" or vamos al cine for "we go to the movies".
How do you pronounce it?
/iɾ al θine/
Did you know?
- While ir al cine refers to the cinema, Spanish uses the word película to describe the film itself, which literally means 'small skin' or 'film'.
- The verb ir is a linguistic mosaic. Its forms are borrowed from three different Latin verbs: īre, vādere and esse.
- In Spain, you will often hear the word estreno when people discuss going to the movies, which refers specifically to a 'debut' or new release.
Examples in context
- Voy a ir al cine.I'm going to go to the movies.This sentence is useful for expressing a future intention using ir al cine.Tatoeba #1481669 by marcelostockle, translation #26481 by CK
- Me gusta ir al cine.I like to go to the movies.This sentence is useful for expressing a preference using ir al cine.Tatoeba #483360 by Eckhardtgabriel, translation #707451 by papabear
- Quisiera ir al cine.I'd like to go to the movies.This sentence is useful for expressing a desire using ir al cine.Tatoeba #1642656 by marcelostockle, translation #26447 by CK
- ¿Quieres ir al cine esta noche?Do you want to go to the movies tonight?
- Me gustaría asistir al cine con ustedes el sábado.I'd like to go to the movies with you on Saturday.
- 23 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Elena are deciding on a plan for the evening.
- Mateo¿Quieres ir al cine hoy?Do you want to go to the movies today?
- ElenaSí, me encantaría ir al cine contigo.Yes, I would love to go to the movies with you.
- MateoPerfecto, yo compro las entradas.Perfect, I will buy the tickets.
- ElenaGracias, Mateo, eres muy amable.Thank you, Mateo, you are very kind.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cine, ir, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
