Whether you’re buying tickets or grabbing snacks, knowing some basic movie theater vocabulary in Spanish can enhance your experience and help you navigate your visit with ease. Below are some key terms and their English translations, along with examples of how they might be used. Keep in mind that some words can vary depending on the country you’re in.
Basic Movie Theater Vocabulary
- Sala(Movie Theater Room)
- Example: “Vamos a la sala 3 para ver la película.”
- (We are going to theater room 3 to watch the movie.)
- Taquilla(Box Office/Ticket Booth)
- Example: “Compramos los boletos en la taquilla.”
- (We bought the tickets at the box office.)
- Dulcería(Concession Stand)
- Example: “Voy a la dulcería por unas palomitas.”
- (I’m going to the concession stand to get some popcorn.)
- Palomitas(Popcorn)
- Example: “Las palomitas son mi snack favorito en el cine.”
- (Popcorn is my favorite snack at the movies.)
- Butaca(Seat)
- Example: “Nos sentamos en las butacas de la fila C.”
- (We sat in the seats in row C.)
- Cartelera(Movie Listings)
- Example: “Revisé la cartelera para ver qué películas están en estreno.”
- (I checked the movie listings to see what films are showing.)
- Pantalla(Screen)
- Example: “La pantalla es enorme en este cine.”
- (The screen is huge in this theater.)
- Proyector(Projector)
- Example: “El proyector está listo para la función.”
- (The projector is ready for the screening.)
- Boleto(Ticket)
- Example: “Perdí mi boleto de entrada al cine.”
- (I lost my movie ticket.)
Country-Specific Variations
- Palomitas (Popcorn): In some countries like Argentina, you might hear “pochoclo” instead of “palomitas.”
- Butaca (Seat): In some places, people might say “asiento” instead of “butaca.”
- Dulcería (Concession Stand): In some regions, this could be called “confitería” or simply “stand de comida.”
