películas

peh-LEE-coo-lahspeˈli.ku.las

“películas” means “movies” in Spanish (cinema features).

movies, films

Also: picture shows

NounfA1

General Latin America

A brightly illustrated scene showing a vintage film projector casting a light beam onto a blank movie screen, with a full bucket of popcorn sitting on the floor.

📝 In Action

¿Viste las nuevas películas de superhéroes este fin de semana?

Did you see the new superhero movies this weekend?

Me gusta ver películas antiguas en blanco y negro.

I like watching old black and white films.

Hacen muy buenas películas en España y México.

They make very good movies in Spain and Mexico.

Word Connections

Synonyms

filmes (films (less common in Spain/Latin America))
cintas (tapes/films (older term, referring to film strips))

Common Collocations

películas de terror – horror movies
ir al cine a ver películas – to go to the cinema to see movies
películas animadas – animated films

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "películas" in Spanish:

films→movies→picture shows→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: películas

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses 'películas'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼

película(movie, film (singular)) — Noun

cinematografía(cinematography, film-making) — Noun

cinéfilo(movie lover) — Noun

🎵 Rhymes▼

artísticasrepúblicas

📚 Etymology▼

The word comes from the Latin term *pellicula*, which was the diminutive form of *pellis* (meaning 'skin' or 'hide'). It was used to describe a thin membrane or skin. When cinema emerged, the strip of celluloid used for filming was literally a 'thin layer,' so the word 'película' was adopted to describe both the physical film strip and the resulting movie.

First recorded: Mid-19th Century (in the context of photography/film)

Cognates (Related words)

Italian: pellicolaFrench: pellicule

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Frequently Asked Questions

If 'película' is feminine, why do people sometimes use 'el' before it, like 'el documental'?

Great question! 'Película' itself is always feminine, so you say 'la película' or 'las películas'. If you hear 'el documental' or 'el cortometraje,' that's because those are masculine nouns describing a *type* of movie, but the base word 'película' stays feminine.

Is 'filmes' a good substitute for 'películas'?

While 'filmes' is understood, especially in technical or literary contexts, 'películas' is far more common and natural for everyday conversations across the Spanish-speaking world. Stick with 'películas' to sound fluent.