Choosing a Movie with Friends | Learn Spanish in English

Sentence explanations

1. ¿Qué película deberíamos ver?

   Which movie should we watch?

   Qué

   which

   película

   movie

   deberíamos

   should

   ver

   watch; see

   More detail

   Qué película asks for the identity or choice of a movie. Qué is the interrogative word “which/what”; before a noun, it is invariable: qué película and qué películas, not a form that changes for masculine or feminine. Compare qué película (“which movie?”) with cuál used independently, as in ¿Cuál prefieres? (“Which one do you prefer?”). película is the feminine singular noun “movie/film.” Its plural is películas: una película (“a movie”), dos películas (“two movies”). The feminine marking belongs to the noun; it does not cause qué to change. deberíamos is the first-person plural conditional form of deber. Here it expresses a suggestion about what “we” ought to do: “should we.” The form includes the speaker and at least one other person; it does not by itself specify how many people are included. A useful contrast is debemos (“we must/should,” more direct or present-oriented) versus deberíamos (“we should,” often a suggestion or tentative recommendation). Example: Deberíamos salir temprano. — “We should leave early.” ver is the infinitive “to watch” or “to see.” After deberíamos, Spanish uses the infinitive: deberíamos ver means “we should watch/see.” The infinitive does not itself show the subject here; deberíamos supplies the first-person plural subject. Example: Deberíamos ver esa película. — “We should watch that movie.” Together, ¿Qué película deberíamos ver? means “Which movie should we watch?” The question asks the group to choose a movie, combining the interrogative noun phrase qué película with the suggestion deberíamos ver.

2. Quiero algo ligero, tal vez una comedia.

   I want something light, maybe a comedy.

   Quiero

   I want

   algo

   something

   ligero

   light

   tal vez

   maybe

   comedia

   comedy

   More detail

   Quiero is the first-person singular present form of querer, “to want”: yo quiero. Spanish often leaves yo unstated because the verb form identifies the speaker. Example: Quiero descansar. — “I want to rest.” algo is an indefinite pronoun meaning “something.” It refers to an unspecified thing rather than naming a particular film or object. Example: Busco algo sencillo. — “I’m looking for something simple.” ligero is an adjective meaning “light” here, describing the desired choice in the film context. It is masculine singular, matching algo; its feminine form is ligera, and its plural forms are ligeros and ligeras. Example: Prefiero un libro ligero. — “I prefer a light book.” tal vez means “maybe” or “perhaps.” It introduces a possibility, so it does not replace or cancel the desire expressed by Quiero algo ligero. Example: Tal vez vemos una película. — “Maybe we’ll watch a film.” comedia is a feminine noun meaning “comedy.” In una comedia, the feminine singular article una agrees with it. Here una marks an unspecified example of the category; it does not by itself assert a numerical count. Together, Quiero algo ligero means “I want something light,” and tal vez una comedia adds a possible option: “maybe a comedy.” The complete utterance therefore means “I want something light, maybe a comedy.”

3. Esta película tiene buenas críticas y subtítulos claros.

   This film has strong reviews and clear subtitles.

   Esta

   this

   película

   film; movie

   tiene

   has

   buenas

   good; strong

   críticas

   reviews; criticism

   subtítulos

   subtitles

   claros

   clear

   More detail

   Esta means “this” here and is the feminine singular demonstrative that agrees with película. The form changes with the noun: este (masculine singular), esta (feminine singular), estos (masculine plural), estas (feminine plural). The translation identifies the referent as the film being discussed. película is a feminine noun meaning “film” or “movie.” Its plural is películas. The feminine article and adjective forms must agree with it: una película buena / películas buenas. tiene is the third-person singular present form of tener, “to have.” In this sentence, tener expresses that the film has or receives a quality or feature: it has strong reviews and clear subtitles. The present-tense forms include tengo (I have), tienes (you have), and tiene (he, she, or an identified singular thing has). Example: La serie tiene seis capítulos. — “The series has six episodes.” buenas means “good” here, with the context-specific sense “strong” for reviews. It is the feminine plural form of bueno, agreeing with críticas. The useful forms are bueno (masculine singular), buena (feminine singular), buenos (masculine plural), and buenas (feminine plural). Before a masculine singular noun, bueno commonly shortens to buen: un buen libro — “a good book.” críticas is the feminine plural of crítica. Here it means “reviews,” not criticism in the abstract, as shown by the fixed translation. Example: Leí buenas críticas. — “I read good reviews.” subtítulos is the masculine plural of subtítulo, “subtitle.” The singular is subtítulo, and the plural ending is -s: un subtítulo / varios subtítulos. claros means “clear” and is the masculine plural form of claro, agreeing with subtítulos. Its basic forms are claro, clara, claros, and claras. Example: Los subtítulos son claros. — “The subtitles are clear.” Together, Esta película identifies the film, and tiene links it to two coordinated descriptions: buenas críticas and subtítulos claros. The complete meaning is “This film has strong reviews and clear subtitles.”

4. ¿Podemos ver el tráiler antes de elegir?

   Can we watch the trailer before we choose?

   Podemos

   can / are able to

   ver

   watch / see

   tráiler

   trailer

   antes de

   before

   elegir

   choose

   More detail

   Podemos is the first-person plural present form of poder (“to be able to” or “can”). Here it means “can we,” with the subject understood as nosotros/nosotras; the question asks about possibility or permission in this situation. Useful forms include puedo (“I can”), puedes (“you can”), and pueden (“they/you plural can”). ver is the infinitive “to see” or “to watch.” It follows podemos because poder is followed by an infinitive: Podemos ver = “We can watch.” Example: Puedo ver la película. — “I can watch the film.” tráiler is a masculine noun meaning “trailer,” here referring to a film preview. Its plural is tráileres: dos tráileres = “two trailers.” The article el identifies the noun as singular and masculine; it does not itself assert a numerical count beyond the singular form used here. antes de is a reusable expression meaning “before.” When it introduces an action, de is followed by an infinitive: antes de elegir = “before choosing.” This is different from antes de la película, where the expression is followed by a noun phrase. elegir is the infinitive “to choose.” In this sentence, it is the action that is later than watching the trailer, and its understood subject is the same group as in podemos: “we choose.” The infinitive keeps the action general rather than marking a separate person or tense. Example: Antes de elegir, comparamos las opciones. — “Before choosing, we compare the options.” Together, ¿Podemos ver el tráiler asks whether the group can watch the trailer, and antes de elegir places choosing afterward. The complete meaning is: “Can we watch the trailer before we choose?”

5. El tráiler debería ayudarnos a decidir.

   The trailer should help us decide.

   tráiler

   trailer

   debería

   should

   ayudarnos

   help us

   decidir

   decide

   More detail

   tráiler is a masculine noun meaning “trailer.” The definite article El marks the noun phrase as definite and agrees with this singular masculine noun. Its plural is tráileres, with the same accent mark. debería is the third-person singular conditional form of deber. Here it expresses “should,” presenting the trailer’s help as an expectation. Compare debe (“must/has to” or, in some contexts, “should”) with debería (“should/would be expected to”); the conditional can make the expectation less forceful. ayudarnos is the infinitive ayudar (“to help”) with the object pronoun nos (“us”) attached: ayudar + nos → ayudarnos. The trailer is the helper, and nos identifies the people helped. Example: El mapa puede ayudarnos. — “The map can help us.” decidir is an infinitive meaning “to decide.” In the pattern ayudar a + infinitive, a links the help to the action that becomes easier: ayudarnos a decidir means “help us decide.” Example: Necesito tiempo para decidir. — “I need time to decide.” Together, El tráiler debería ayudarnos a decidir means “The trailer should help us decide.” El tráiler is the expected helper; debería presents this as an expectation, and ayudarnos a decidir identifies the action the trailer is expected to support.

6. La historia parece divertida, pero no demasiado difícil.

   The story looks fun but not too difficult.

   historia

   story

   parece

   seems; looks

   divertida

   fun; entertaining

   pero

   but

   no demasiado

   not too much

   difícil

   difficult

   More detail

   historia means “story” here. It is a feminine singular noun, which is why the adjective later appears as divertida. Example: La historia es interesante. — “The story is interesting.” parece is the third-person singular present form of parecer, “to seem” or “to look.” The pattern parecer + adjective describes an impression: La película parece larga. — “The film seems long.” divertida means “fun” or “entertaining” here. It is the feminine singular form of divertido, agreeing with historia; the adjective, not the noun, carries this gender and number marking. The masculine singular form is divertido, and the plural forms are divertidos and divertidas. pero introduces a contrast and means “but.” It does not replace the first description; both descriptions remain part of the meaning. no demasiado means “not too much” in this sentence. Here, no negates the degree expressed by demasiado in the following description. Demasiado can mean “too much” or “too,” as in Es demasiado caro. — “It is too expensive.” difícil means “difficult” or “hard.” It has the same singular form with masculine and feminine nouns; its plural is difíciles. Example: La tarea es difícil. — “The task is difficult.” Together, La historia parece divertida says “The story looks fun,” and pero no demasiado difícil adds the contrast “but not too difficult.” The complete utterance is: “The story looks fun but not too difficult.”

7. Entonces, vamos a elegir esta película.

   Then let's choose this film.

   Entonces

   Then

   vamos a

   let’s

   elegir

   choose

   esta

   this

   película

   film

   More detail

   Entonces means “then” here, linking this choice to what was just discussed. It can also introduce a consequence in other sentences. vamos a is the first-person plural form of ir (vamos) followed by a and an infinitive. With elegir, vamos a elegir expresses a proposal or planned action: “let’s choose” / “we are going to choose.” The subject is implicit in the verb form and is plural: the speaker includes at least one other person. Pattern: vamos a + infinitive. Example: Vamos a descansar. — “Let’s rest.” elegir is the infinitive “to choose.” The infinitive does not itself mark the subject or tense; vamos carries the person and number here. Example: Quiero elegir una película. — “I want to choose a film.” esta is the feminine singular demonstrative meaning “this.” It agrees with the noun it modifies, película, which is feminine singular. Compare este libro — “this book,” where este is masculine singular. The form esta has no accent in this use; está is a different form of estar. película is a feminine singular noun meaning “film” or “movie.” Its plural is películas. In this sentence, it is the thing being chosen. Together, esta película means “this film,” and vamos a elegir esta película means “let’s choose this film.” With Entonces at the beginning, the complete utterance is: “Then let’s choose this film.”

8. Vamos a comprar algo de comer antes de que empiece.

   Let's get a snack before it starts.

   Vamos a

   let’s

   comprar

   buy; get

   algo de comer

   something to eat

   antes de que

   before …

   empiece

   starts

   More detail

   Vamos a uses the present form vamos of ir with a plus an infinitive to express a planned or immediate action. In this utterance, vamos a + infinitive means “let’s …,” including the speaker and the listener. Example: Vamos a estudiar. — “Let’s study.” comprar is the infinitive “to buy.” After vamos a, it names the action being proposed. The same verb can appear in other forms, such as compro (“I buy”) and compramos (“we buy”); the infinitive itself does not mark the actor or time. algo de comer means “something to eat.” algo is an indefinite pronoun meaning “something,” and de comer specifies the type of thing: something intended for eating. This pattern is reusable: algo de beber means “something to drink.” antes de que introduces a subordinate time clause meaning “before ….” Because the event in this clause is viewed as pending or not yet completed relative to the proposed purchase, Spanish uses the subjunctive after this expression. Example: Lávate las manos antes de que empiece la cena. — “Wash your hands before dinner starts.” empiece is the present subjunctive form of empezar (“to start”): third-person singular. The form refers here to the event translated as “it” starting; the supplied sentence does not identify that event more specifically. The change from z in the infinitive to c before e preserves the pronunciation: empezar → empiece. Compare the indicative empieza, “it starts/is starting,” with the subjunctive empiece after antes de que. Together, Vamos a comprar proposes that the speaker and listener buy or get something, algo de comer identifies it as food, and antes de que empiece places that action before the relevant event starts. The complete meaning is: “Let’s get a snack before it starts.”