Where am I going? To see a movie or a play?

[Wonderlicious]

In America, I see you call a place for seeing a movie a "theatre" (abroad, it's a cinema). Does this cause some confusion? If you say I'm going to the theatre tonight, can people get ideas you're going to a different place then where you are going? Won't this cause mix ups at dates?

[pinkrenata]

More commonly, "theater" is used to describe a cinema, while "theatre" means theatre.

Of course, I may have made up that rule. I really can't be too sure.

[Disneykid]

Well, in common speech, an American person would say, "Let's go to the movies," in reference to cinema and "Let's go to the theater," in reference to the stage. I say common speech because the place we go see movies is called a movie theater, but people (including myself) usually refer to it as "the movies". I'm not sure if that applies to most Americans, but it does here in South Florida.

[Wonderlicious]

Can't you just call a "movie theatre" a "cinema". It would cause less confusion across the rest of the world

[Disneykid]

Can't you just call a "movie theatre" a "cinema". It would cause less confusion across the rest of the world

In the technical world, we do also call them cinemas, but again, it all comes down to common speech. No one I know refers to it as the cinema. I only see the term used by movie theater companies ("United Artists Cinemas") or in print like we're doing now.

[snowbot]

I live in Northern Florida, and sometimes I do say "Let's go to the cinema" but usually I get an eye roll. It sounds too posh for these southern folk.

[BrandonH]

For the other side of the coin, I'll usually just say, "I'm going to see a play" instead of "I'm going to the theatre."

[Just Myself]

Usually, it's let's go the movies or let's go see a play. But that's just me.

[StevEnrique]

I don't believe the majority of Americans go to see plays on a regular basis so there is rarely any confusion.

[castleinthesky]

Can't you just call a "movie theatre" a "cinema". It would cause less confusion across the rest of the world

It does get confusing, but in America some of us get confused with English accents and word usage.