je regarde des films
The English phrase "I watch movies" is expressed in French as je regarde des films.
This phrase is used to express the habit or the action of viewing films.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "I watch some movies" because des is the plural indefinite article.
Which one should you use?
While je regarde des films implies the active, focused act of watching, using the verb voir in the phrase je vois des films often implies the more passive act of seeing or catching a film.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, speakers may use J'écoute des films to mean "I watch movies".
How does it change in a sentence?
To change the phrase from watching multiple movies to watching a single movie, replace the plural article des with the singular un to get je regarde un film. In a negative sentence, the plural article des changes to de after the negation ne… pas, resulting in je ne regarde pas de films.
Did you know?
- In France, the phrase le septième art or 'the seventh art' is commonly used to refer to cinema and movies.
- While regarder is the standard word for 'watch', it literally means 'to look at' and originates from the word garde, meaning 'guard' or 'watchman'.
- The English word 'ego' shares its DNA with the French word je, as both trace back to the Latin word 'ego' meaning 'I'.
Examples in context
- Je regarde des films tous les jours.I watch movies every day.This sentence is useful for showing how to express the frequency of the action with je regarde des films.Tatoeba #12939138 by LdjuherTaqvaylit, translation #13967739 by Leglaine
- Je regarde des films le soir.I watch movies in the evening.
- Normalement, je regarde des films à la maison.Normally, I watch movies at home.
Example conversation
Léa and Hugo are discussing their hobbies at a café.
- LéaQuels sont tes passe-temps, Hugo ?What are your hobbies, Hugo?
- HugoJe regarde des films et je joue au tennis.I watch movies and I play tennis.
- LéaC'est super, moi aussi je regarde des films.That's great, I watch movies too.
- HugoAh bon ? Quel genre de films aimes-tu ?Oh really? What kind of movies do you like?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries des, je, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
