película
/peˈlikula/feminine
The Spanish word for movie is película. Wiktionary also lists filme.
Meaning: motion picture (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| película | /peˈlikula/ | feminine |
| filme | /ˈfilme/ | masculine |
Both película and filme refer to a motion picture. In many contexts, you might also hear el cine used to refer to the movie theater or the medium of cinema itself.
Which one should you use?
película is the standard everyday word used by speakers, whereas filme is much rarer and carries a more formal or technical tone.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
película is the standard term, while filme is a formal option. For a very informal or colloquial setting, you can use the abbreviation peli.
How does it change in a sentence?
película is a feminine noun, so you must use the feminine article la (the movie) instead of the masculine el. To make the word plural, use películas. filme is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/peˈlikula/
Did you know?
- The word película actually shares its roots with the word for 'skin' or 'hide'.
- In certain Caribbean dialects, calling a situation a película suggests that the event is so surreal or unbelievable that it feels like a scripted movie plot.
- The word película can also refer to a very thin layer of something, like a 'film' of oil or dust on a surface, without any connection to cinema.
Examples in context
- Ya vi esa película.I've already seen that movie.This sentence shows how to use película to talk about having seen a specific movie.Tatoeba #1891218 by hayastan, translation #1891165 by CK
- La película me gustó.I enjoyed the movie.This sentence demonstrates using película to express enjoyment of a film.Tatoeba #928535 by Shishir, translation #5958381 by CK
- Vi una película ayer.I saw a movie yesterday.This sentence shows how to use película when stating you saw a movie in the past.Tatoeba #13046058 by ecorralest101, translation #10713880 by quoctrong018
- Me encanta ir al cine a ver una buena película los fines de semana.I love going to the cinema to watch a good movie on weekends.
- Vimos un excelente filme durante el festival de cine.We watched an excellent movie during the film festival.
- Vamos a ver una peli en casa esta noche.Let's watch a movie at home tonight.
- Encontré una cinta muy interesante en el baúl de mis abuelos.I found a very interesting movie tape in my grandparents' trunk.
- ¿Vamos al cine a ver una película nueva?Shall we go to the cinema to watch a new movie?
- Quiero ver una película de comedia.I want to watch a comedy movie.
- Anoche vi una película de terror. ¡Me asusté mucho!Last night, I watched a horror movie. It scared me a lot!
- Me encantan las películas de acción.I love action movies.
- No soy fan de las películas románticas.I'm not a fan of romantic movies.
- ¿Qué película me recomendarías ver?What movie would you recommend I watch?
- ¿Has visto la nueva película de superhéroes?Have you seen the new superhero movie?
- ¡Disfruta de ver películas en español!Enjoy watching movies in Spanish!
- 383 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Mateo are deciding what to watch at home.
- Sofía¿Quieres ver una película?Do you want to watch a movie?
- MateoSí, pero no sé cuál elegir.Yes, but I don't know which one to choose.
- SofíaEsta película de acción es buena.This action movie is good.
- MateoPerfecto, vamos a verla.Perfect, let's watch it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “movie” translations and entries película, filme, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries filme, película, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
