film
/ˈfilm/masculine
The Italian word for movie is film. Wiktionary also lists pellicola.
Meaning: motion picture (noun)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| film | /ˈfilm/ | masculine |
| pellicola | /pelˈli.ko.la/ | feminine |
In everyday Italian conversation, film is the most common way to refer to a motion picture. You might use the phrase Vedere un film to say "to watch a movie", or Andare al cinema to say "to go to the cinema".
Which one should you use?
While film is the standard term for a movie, pellicola refers more literally to the physical film strip or celluloid.
How does it change in a sentence?
film is a masculine noun, while pellicola is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈfilm/
Did you know?
- The word pellicola comes from the Latin word for 'little skin'. This reflects the early days of cinema when the physical medium felt like a thin organic membrane.
- The phrase fare un film can literally mean 'to make a movie', but it is also used idiomatically to describe someone who is imagining a fantasy or exaggerating a story.
- When discussing a movie's plot, Italians often use the word trama instead of the English 'plot', a word that also means a 'web' or a 'weave'.
Examples in context
- Io amo quel film.I love that movie.This sentence is useful for expressing affection for a specific film using film.Tatoeba #2010433 by Guybrush88, translation #1887551 by CK
- Ho visto il film.I saw the movie.This sentence is useful for stating that you have seen a specific film using film.Tatoeba #4159238 by Guybrush88, translation #1775179 by Spamster
- Ho amato il film.I loved the movie.This sentence is useful for expressing that you loved a specific film using film.Tatoeba #4850965 by Guybrush88, translation #4500081 by CK
- Ho visto un film interessante ieri sera.I watched an interesting movie last night.
- La pellicola vincitrice di numerosi premi sarà proiettata stasera.The award-winning movie will be screened tonight.
- Andiamo a vedere un bel film al cinema stasera?Shall we go watch a nice movie at the cinema tonight?
- Ha realizzato un filmato divertente delle loro vacanze in Toscana.She made a fun movie of their vacation in Tuscany.
- 776 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Matteo and Giulia are deciding what to watch at home.
- MatteoChe film guardiamo stasera?What movie are we watching tonight?
- GiuliaVorrei vedere un film d'azione.I would like to watch an action movie.
- MatteoQuesto film nuovo è molto bello.This new movie is very good.
- GiuliaVa bene, iniziamo a guardarlo.Okay, let's start watching it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “movie” translations and entries film, pellicola, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries film, pellicola, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
