电影

• Pinyin: diàn yǐng
• Hanzi breakdown: 电 (electricity) + 影 (shadow, image) — electric images, i.e. movies

Meaning

Movie; film. A motion picture shown in cinemas or on screens.

Used for all types of movies. Common patterns: 看电影 (watch a movie), 电影院 (cinema), 一部电影 (a movie, using the measure word 部). Can refer to both the art form and a specific film.

Examples

1. 我们去看电影吧。 Let's go watch a movie.
2. 这部电影很好看。 This movie is really good.
3. 你喜欢什么电影？ What kind of movies do you like?

Usage Guide

Context: entertainment, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 今天晚上去看电影吗？(Shall we go see a movie tonight?)
• 这部电影我看了两次。(I watched this movie twice.)

Don't Say

• 看一个电影 (Use measure word 部 for movies — say 看一部电影)

Origin & History

Compound of 电 (electricity) and 影 (shadow, image) — images created by electricity, i.e. motion pictures.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal