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cinema

cinema

noun CHEE-neh-mah Common
Arts & Culture Performance

Origin: Short for cinematografo, from Greek kinema (movement) + graphein (to write)

Also means

movie theater, film

Usage Note

Cinema is a masculine noun that is invariable in the plural — il cinema, i cinema (not i cinemi). It refers both to the art form and the physical venue. Italians say andare al cinema ('to go to the movies'). The abbreviation cine appears in informal speech and in compound words like cinefilo ('film buff').

Examples

"Andiamo al cinema stasera?"

Natural Translation

Shall we go to the cinema tonight?

Literal Translation

We-go to-the cinema tonight?

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