Movies & TV
intermediate电影电视
Learn vocabulary for discussing movies, TV shows, and film culture. Cover genres, going to the cinema, streaming, and sharing opinions in Chinese.
38 words12 phrases2 dialogues~25 min study time
Vocabulary
38 words — click any row for an example sentence
Genres
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 电影 | diànyǐng | movie; film | noun |
| 电视剧 | diànshìjù | TV drama; TV series | noun |
| 喜剧 | xǐjù | comedy | noun |
| 动作片 | dòngzuò piān | action movie | noun |
| 爱情片 | àiqíng piān | romance film; love story | noun |
| 恐怖片 | kǒngbù piān | horror film | noun |
| 纪录片 | jìlùpiān | documentary | noun |
| 动画片 | dònghuà piān | animated film; cartoon | noun |
| 科幻片 | kēhuàn piān | science fiction film | noun |
| 悬疑片 | xuányí piān | mystery film; thriller | noun |
Watching
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 看电影 | kàn diànyǐng | to watch a movie | verb |
| 电影院 | diànyǐngyuàn | cinema; movie theater | noun |
| 票 | piào | ticket | noun |
| 爆米花 | bàomǐhuā | popcorn | noun |
| 字幕 | zìmù | subtitles | noun |
| 屏幕 | píngmù | screen | noun |
| 追剧 | zhuī jù | to binge-watch a series; to follow a drama | verb |
| 会员 | huìyuán | member; membership; subscriber | noun |
| 上映 | shàngyìng | to be released (in cinemas); to premiere | verb |
| 首映 | shǒuyìng | premiere | noun |
| 预告片 | yùgào piān | trailer; preview | noun |
Discussing
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 好看 | hǎokàn | good to watch; entertaining | adjective |
| 无聊 | wúliáo | boring; dull | adjective |
| 感动 | gǎndòng | moved; touched (emotionally) | adjective |
| 剧情 | jùqíng | plot; storyline | noun |
| 演员 | yǎnyuán | actor; actress | noun |
| 导演 | dǎoyǎn | director | noun |
| 推荐 | tuījiàn | to recommend | verb |
| 剧透 | jùtòu | spoiler | noun |
| 评分 | píngfēn | rating; score | noun |
| 票房 | piàofáng | box office | noun |
| 特效 | tèxiào | special effects | noun |
| 结局 | jiéjú | ending; conclusion | noun |
| 台词 | táicí | dialogue; lines (of a script) | noun |
| 弹幕 | dànmù | bullet comments; scrolling comments on video | noun |
| 续集 | xùjí | sequel | noun |
| 主角 | zhǔjué | main character; protagonist | noun |
| 配音 | pèiyīn | dubbing; voice acting | noun |
Key Phrases
Essential expressions
这部电影好看吗？
Zhè bù diànyǐng hǎokàn ma?
Is this movie good?
Asking someone for their opinion on a movie.
你最喜欢什么类型的电影？
Nǐ zuì xǐhuan shénme lèixíng de diànyǐng?
What genre of movies do you like the most?
Asking about someone's movie preferences.
我们在网上买票吧，比现场买便宜。
Wǒmen zài wǎngshàng mǎi piào ba, bǐ xiànchǎng mǎi piányi.
Let us buy tickets online. It is cheaper than buying at the venue.
Suggesting buying movie tickets through an app or website.
别剧透！我还没看呢。
Bié jùtòu! Wǒ hái méi kàn ne.
No spoilers! I have not watched it yet.
Telling someone not to reveal plot details.
这部剧在豆瓣上评分很高。
Zhè bù jù zài Dòubàn shàng píngfēn hěn gāo.
This drama has a high rating on Douban.
Referencing the popular Chinese movie review platform.
我最近在追一部新剧。
Wǒ zuìjìn zài zhuī yí bù xīn jù.
I am currently following a new drama series.
Telling someone about a show you are watching regularly.
这个演员的演技太好了。
Zhège yǎnyuán de yǎnjì tài hǎo le.
This actor's acting is excellent.
Praising an actor's performance.
结局太出乎意料了。
Jiéjú tài chūhū yìliào le.
The ending was so unexpected.
Commenting on a surprising movie or drama ending.
你喜欢看国产电影还是外国电影？
Nǐ xǐhuan kàn guóchǎn diànyǐng háishi wàiguó diànyǐng?
Do you prefer domestic films or foreign films?
Comparing Chinese and foreign movie preferences.
这部电影的特效做得太好了。
Zhè bù diànyǐng de tèxiào zuò de tài hǎo le.
The special effects in this movie are done really well.
Commenting on the visual effects of a film.
你开了视频会员吗？
Nǐ kāi le shìpín huìyuán ma?
Do you have a video streaming subscription?
Asking about someone's streaming service memberships.
这部电影值得去电影院看。
Zhè bù diànyǐng zhíde qù diànyǐngyuàn kàn.
This movie is worth seeing in a cinema.
Recommending watching a movie on the big screen.
Dialogues
Practice conversations
Planning a Movie Night
Two friends are making plans to watch a movie over the weekend. They discuss what movie to see, where to watch, and buy tickets online.
Speaker A
周六晚上有空吗？想一起去看电影。
Speaker B
好啊！最近有什么好看的？
Speaker A
有一部新上映的科幻片，豆瓣评分8.5，听说特效特别好。
Speaker B
听起来不错！去哪家电影院看？
Speaker A
万达影城怎么样？那里的IMAX屏幕最大。我在猫眼上看一下场次。
Speaker B
好的。晚上七点或者八点的场次都行。
Speaker A
七点半有一场，网上买票一张才四十五块，比现场便宜。我帮你也买一张？
Speaker B
好的，谢谢！到时候我请你吃爆米花。
Cultural note: In China, movie tickets are almost always purchased through apps like Maoyan (猫眼) or Taopiaopiao (淘票票), which offer significant discounts compared to box office prices. Seat selection is done digitally, and you simply scan a QR code or pick up tickets at the theater.
Discussing a TV Drama
Two coworkers are chatting during lunch about a popular TV drama they are both watching. They share opinions on the plot and characters.
Speaker A
你看了昨天更新的那两集吗？太精彩了！
Speaker B
还没呢，别剧透！我昨晚加班，还没来得及看。
Speaker A
好吧，那我不说剧情了。你觉得女主角演得怎么样？
Speaker B
我觉得她演得特别好，很自然，不像有些演员演什么都一个样。
Speaker A
对！而且这部剧的台词写得很好，很多句子我都想截图发朋友圈。
Speaker B
是吗？那我今晚一定要看！这部剧是在哪个平台播的？
Speaker A
在爱奇艺上，不过要会员才能看最新的两集。你开会员了吗？
Speaker B
有有有，上个月刚续的。那我今晚回家就看，明天咱们再讨论！
Cultural note: Chinese TV dramas typically release one or two episodes daily rather than an entire season at once. Major streaming platforms like iQIYI (爱奇艺), Youku (优酷), and Tencent Video (腾讯视频) often make the latest episodes available only to paid members (会员), with free users having to wait an extra week.
Cultural Notes
Context that textbooks miss
Test Yourself
8 questions covering vocabulary, phrases, and dialogue comprehension.
Take the Movies & TV Quiz (8 questions)→HSK Level Overlap
8 of 38 words appear in HSK levels
Further Reading
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