Film
/ˈfɪlm/masculine
The German word for movie is Film. Wiktionary also lists Spielfilm.
Meaning: motion picture (noun)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Film | /ˈfɪlm/ | masculine |
| Spielfilm | [ˈʃpiːlˌfɪlm] (narrow) | masculine |
Film is the most commonly used and widely recognized term for movie in German.
Which one should you use?
If you want to highlight that a movie is intended for cinema screenings, you can use Kinofilm.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Austria, the word Kino can be used to refer to both the cinema and the movie itself.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of 'Film' is Filme. In the genitive case, 'Film' becomes des Films.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈfɪlm/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the neuter article das because 'movie' is neutral in English, but Film is masculine and requires der or den.
Did you know?
- In German, the word Film is used as a slang metaphor for something that is out of control or chaotic. If someone says Das ist ein Film, they mean the situation is like a crazy movie.
- The word Spielfilm contains the word Spiel, which means 'game' or 'play', hinting at the fictional or 'played' nature of the movie.
- German has a specific word for a movie that is so bad it is funny, called Trashfilm. While it uses the English word 'trash', it is a recognized category in German film criticism.
Examples in context
- Wie war der Film?How was the movie?This sentence is useful for asking how a movie was.Tatoeba #1607523 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #3568460 by CK
- Wie heißt der Film?What is the name of the movie?This sentence is useful for asking for the name of a movie.Tatoeba #2250780 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #2247302 by Amastan
- Den Film hasse ich.I hate that movie.This sentence is useful for expressing a dislike for a movie.Tatoeba #6165868 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #2334113 by CK
- Ich liebe deutsche FilmeI love German movies
- Hast du den neuen Kinofilm gesehen?Have you seen the new movie in theaters?
- Das ist ein toller Streifen!That's a great movie!
- Lass uns einen Movie anschauenLet's watch a movie
- Gehen wir ins Kino?Shall we go to the cinema?
- 695 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julia and Lukas are deciding what to do on a Friday evening.
- JuliaLust auf einen Film?Feel like watching a movie?
- LukasJa, welcher Film ist gut?Yes, which movie is good?
- JuliaDieser Film hier sieht toll aus.This movie here looks great.
- LukasAlles klar, lass uns den sehen.Alright, let's watch that one.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “movie” translations and entries Film, Spielfilm, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
