to see or to watch a movie

Question

"I watch TV"

"I see a movie in the cinema"

"I see a movie on TV"

¿I watch a movie in the cinema?

¿I watch a movie on TV?

It seems to me that these two sentences are not correct. What do you think?

Answer 1

Hi Nila,

Well, wow, the English watch and see are more confusing than I ever realized. I glanced at the article you linked to. I think that article is pretty good actually. I would say it is generally correct (so far as I understood the Spanish). I think if you obey the general rules presented in that blog article, you will usually be right.

However, I would like to give more details about how see and watch are used in reference to TV and movies (so far as I understand it). There are two things to consider: (1) what is being viewed and (2) the tense being used.

When watching a movie, TV show, or sports event

Use watch for the progressive tenses:

• I am watching the movie.
• I was watching the TV show
• I have been watching the game
• I had been watching The Incredibles.
• I will have been watching the show for three hours by then.

The simple present is used for indicating that we watch a show or game on a regular schedule. Watch is really preferred in this case (although see can be used).

• I watch Knight Rider on Mondays.

Watch and see are interchangeable for all other tenses, usually with a slight preference to use see.

• I saw / watched the movie yesterday.
• I will see / will watch the football game tomorrow.
• I have seen / have watched the movie already.
• I will have seen / will have watched the show by that time.

When watching TV in general (no show is referenced at all)...

Use watch for all the tenses. Note that TV is not preceded by an article.

• I watched TV all day yesterday.
• He is watching TV right now.
• They will watch TV tomorrow.
• Fred had been watching TV all afternoon.

Please note that in the case of movies, TV shows, and general TV viewing, it is never wrong to use watch. So, if you are in doubt, choose watch because sometimes see can be wrong.

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A slightly different subject...

If see is used with TV and a show is not referenced, it indicates you saw the television itself -- like you would see a lamp or a table. You would use the definite or indefinite article in this case.

• I saw the TV on the shelf. There was a DVD player beside it.

Answer 2

OK, that's what I found outside SpanishDict (with a looot of discussion about ver vs. mirar):

En español "mirar" se usa más en referencia a un cuadro, un paisaje, por ejemplo. Se usa "ver" para la televisión, cine, teatro, musical...

- Mirar la tele: estoy mirando "el aparato", el televisor (aunque esté apagado)... Por ejemplo en una tienda: he estado mirando televisiones de plasma...

- Ver la tele: ver algún programa, película o serie...

That is. - nila45, Dec 18, 2009

Thanks Issabela - Daniel, Dec 18, 2009

Answer 3

Hi Nila,

tha basic rule is to use the verb "see" when reffering to a short duration or distance (physical or metaphorical) and to use the verb "watch" when talking for a longer duration.

you watch a movie and not see TV

I am watching TV

I see the TV (set)

you can say I saw a movie yesterday and I watched a movie. They are both correct because you are reffering to a moment in the past. But when you need to talk about another incident that happent during that then you need to say "I was watching a movie yesterday"

**It feels like the verb watch is more like "follow"

I hope I helped!

Yes, that's right, you can see "I fainted while watching the movie", but you can't say "I fainted while seeing the movie". - kattya, Dec 18, 2009

Excellent "parsing" of those verbs, Zac11! ¡Perfecto! - 0057ed01, Dec 18, 2009

But you should say " I fainted when I saw all the blood." - ian-hill, Dec 21, 2009

Answer 4

As with any sentence, context plays a big part in your phrases. To say "I am going to see a movie" implies that you will be traveling to a different location to watch a movie. To say "I am going to watch a movie" implies that you intend to view a movie, but does not specify the location. You could watch a movie at home, or in a theater. Alternatively, "I am going to watch television simply implies that you intend to watch television, probably at the location that you are when you state it (home). Rarely would you say "I am going to see television."

I hope this helps!

Answer 5

Hi Nila,

I think you can use "watch" and "see" interchangeably... mostly. I´m trying to think of sentences that are wrong.

Let´s seewatch TV tonight.

Let´s seewatch Buffy tonight. (A specific show on TV)

Did you see / watch Buffy last night?

I want to see / watch that new show on TV tonight. (a show but not specified)

Let's see Star Wars tonight (A movie at a theatre)

Let's watch Star Wars tonight (A movie or video on TV, probably)

Let's go see / watch a movie tonight.

I guess watch is used a little more for TV, and see a little more for theatres. But only the first two sentences sound really wrong with "see".

Wow, this is making my head spin!

Very good examples. - webdunce, Dec 18, 2009

Answer 6

Both are correct:

I am going to see a movie (at the cinema).

I am going to watch a movie (at home).

Thank you -- that is what I thought -- now I feel confident about these. - Daniel, Dec 18, 2009

Answer 7

Hi Nila

There is a difference between "see" and "watch" - but is a little difficult to explain.

"to watch" indicates that it is the intention of the person.

"to see" does not indicate any intention of the person.

Example

"I saw that there had been an accident" - You had no intention of seeing it.

"I watched the ambulance arrive after the accident." You did want to see it arrive.

It is similar to the difference between "to hear" and "to listen"

Good answer. - nila45, Dec 19, 2009

Answer 8

Voy a ver la televisión.

Voy a mirar la televisión.

I am going to explain something about it.

With "ver" you have the intention of seeing the movie.

With "mirar" you do not put your intention in it. That means that we the Spanish use "mirar" when we say:

El estaba mirando la televisión, pero, en realidad, él estaba pensando en otra cosa.

Aunque la pantalla del televisor estaba apagada, él no dejaba de mirarla.

We can say:

voy a ver una película.

We never say:

voy a mirar una película.

The latter can be considered to be incorrect.

Anyway, these are special contexts (with movie, television ...). "Ver" and "mirar" works in a different way with other words.

El no dejaba de mirar a la mujer rubia (he is contemplating the scene).

El vió a un hombre corriendo de un lado a otro (the action is much shorter and he cannot contemplate the scene).

Thank you Nila: I knew this was not so easy and why I asked. It is way I have trouble with it. - Daniel, Dec 18, 2009

I guess, I am still a little confused. - Daniel, Dec 18, 2009

Answer 9

I still have problems with this in Spanish

---

• Voy a ver la televisión.

• Voy a mirar la televisión.

• Are these both correct or is one of them incorrect for (I am going to watch TV.)?

---

Also:

• Voy a ver una película. ("I am going to watch a movie." I think in this case "I am going to see a movie." is a better translation.)

• For: "I am going to watch a movie." ("Voy a mirar una película." seems to be correct -- What do you use/think?)

Answer 10

Hi Nila. All of those sentences are correct.

Some other examples:

I'm going to see a movie today at the cinema.

I saw a movie yesterday.

Do you want to watch a movie?

I watch TV every day.

Do you want to watch TV after dinner?

I see a movie on TV every Friday night.

Answer 11

Anyway, I do not finish to understand very well the difference between "watch" and "see". Perhaps, I am not sure if this link is right or not. There are too many questions.

difference to see-to watch and to look at

"I do not finish to understand very well" should be "I do not completely understand" - webdunce, Dec 18, 2009

Thank you, I think in Spanish when I translate. - nila45, Dec 19, 2009

Answer 12

Voy a ver la televisión.

Voy a mirar la televisión.

I am going to explain something about it.

With "ver" you put your intention in it.

With "mirar" you do not put your intention in it. That means that we the Spanish use "mirar" when we say: El estaba mirando la televisión, pero, en realidad, él estaba pensando en otra cosa.

Aunque la pantalla del televisor estaba apagada, él no dejaba de mirarla.

OK. Assuming that what you're saying is correct, then why is mirar translated to English watch, which is intentional, and ver is translated to see, which is unintentional?

I found the following explanation in Diccionario de la Lengua Española (REA):

ver - percibir por los ojos los objetos mediante la acción de la luz

mirar - dirigir la vista a un objeto / observar las acciones de alguien

It seems to me that ver is unintentional, and mirar is intentional.

Good question. - --Mariana--, Dec 18, 2009

Sorry, Issabela, I had to change my question. I have realised that it was not what I wanted to say. - nila45, Dec 18, 2009

OK, I can see it now. - Issabela, Dec 18, 2009

Answer 13

Really?

I watch a movie in the cinema or I see a movie in the cinema.

Then, I thought to remember that one of my teachers, I cannot remember which of them, said that it was "I saw a movie in the cinema".

I was watching a movie in the cinema, according to you, it is OK.

Is there any difference between "watch" and "see"?

I think you can say "we watched a movie at the theatre". It's just that if you say "we watched the movie" I'm likely to assume you watched it at home. - kattya, Dec 18, 2009

Why? - ian-hill, Dec 18, 2009

Think of watching as something that is done moment by moment, but seeing is done as a whole. You watch each part of the movie, but you see the whole film. - gadjetman, Dec 18, 2009