student asking question

I do understand that the word "film", "movie" and "cinema" basically have the same meaning. However, are there any differences between these words?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

Great question. The term "movies" was actually slang a few decades ago, used to mean a motion picture. "Film" is the method on which motion pictures are made, and because of this it too have come to be a kind of term to refer to motion pictures. "Cinema" is actually from a French word and means movement. So "cinema" is really just another word meaning moving picture. It has come to mean more generally the process of film-making and also the building where films are shown. Film and movies, are often used interchangeably. As are cinema and movies. However film and cinema cannot be interchanged. Ex: I saw the latest action film. Ex: I saw the latest action movie. Ex: I went to the movies last night. Ex: I went to the cinema last night. In context, the cinema is the building where movies are shown. "Movies" describe in a very simplistic way, what it going on on the screen. Things are moving: movies. "Film" is the way we record the movie.

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