cine
/ˈθine/
The Spanish word for movie theater is cine.
cine refers to a place where people go to watch films on a large screen. To express the activity of going to the movies, you typically use the phrase ir al cine. While cine refers to the establishment itself, you can use sala de cine to refer specifically to the individual screening room or auditorium where the film is projected.
What does it mean word for word?
The word cine is a shortened form of cinematografía (cinematography) and is used to mean both the art of cinema and the physical theater itself.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, the word cineteatro is sometimes used to describe a theater that also serves as a cinema. In Spain, the plural form cines is commonly used to refer to movie theaters in general.
How does it change in a sentence?
cine is a masculine noun, so it is preceded by the masculine article el when referring to a specific theater (e.g., el cine).
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈθine/
Did you know?
- The word cine shares a common ancestor with the English word 'kinetics', as both trace back to the Ancient Greek word for 'movement'.
- If you are in Mexico, you might encounter the term el cine, but if you are looking for a specific movie screening, you might also see it described as la función.
- In some regions, the term peliculoteca is used to describe a collection or a place dedicated to storing many films, which is a much more specific concept than just a cine.
Examples in context
- Es un nuevo cine.It's a new movie theater.This sentence is useful for describing a new cine.Tatoeba #2258979 by cueyayotl, translation #2258978 by _undertoad
- Estaba en el cine.I was at a movie theater.This sentence is useful for stating you were at a cine.Tatoeba #703796 by Shishir, translation #26437 by CK
- ¿Por qué no vas al cine?Why don't you go to the movie theater?This sentence is useful for suggesting someone go to the cine.Tatoeba #10806291 by Shishir, translation #10806713 by Luornu
- Ir al cineGo to the movies
- 32 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Daniel are deciding what to do for the weekend.
- SofíaMe gustaría ir al cine mañana.I would like to go to the movie theater tomorrow.
- Daniel¡Buena idea! ¿A qué hora?Good idea! At what time?
- SofíaA las siete, en el cine del centro.At seven, at the downtown movie theater.
- DanielPerfecto, Daniel comprará los boletos.Perfect, Daniel will buy the tickets.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry cine, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cine, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
