diànyǐng bā diǎn bàn kāishǐ, wǒmen bié chídào.

八点半 is read bā diǎn bàn.

The pattern is:

• X点 = X o’clock
• 半 = half

So 八点半 literally looks like eight o’clock half, and it means half past eight / 8:30.

A few more examples:

• 六点半 = 6:30
• 九点半 = 9:30

You can also say 八点三十分, but 八点半 is much more natural in everyday speech.

In Mandarin, time expressions usually go directly before the verb, without needing a separate word like English at.

So:

• 电影八点半开始
  = The movie starts at 8:30

The basic order is often:

• subject + time + verb

You can sometimes hear 在八点半开始, but in simple sentences like this, 在 is often omitted.

Because Mandarin usually puts the time before the action.

So the structure is:

• 电影 = the movie
• 八点半 = at 8:30
• 开始 = starts

That gives:

• 电影八点半开始

This is a very common Mandarin pattern:

• 课九点开始 = Class starts at 9.
• 会议明天开始 = The meeting starts tomorrow.

English and Mandarin organize this information differently, so this word order often feels new to English speakers.

Mandarin often does not need a special future marker when the time already makes the future clear.

Here, 八点半 already tells you when the action will happen, so 开始 by itself is enough.

That is very normal in Mandarin:

• 我明天去 = I’m going tomorrow.
• 电影八点半开始 = The movie starts at 8:30.

You do not need an extra word equivalent to English will.

Not here.

开始了 usually suggests that something has started already or is starting now, depending on context.

But this sentence is giving a schedule:

• 电影八点半开始 = The movie starts at 8:30.

So plain 开始 is the natural choice.

Compare:

• 电影八点半开始。 = The movie starts at 8:30.
• 电影开始了！ = The movie has started!

别 is used to tell someone don’t ... or let’s not ...

So:

• 别迟到 = Don’t be late.

It is very common in spoken Mandarin. You will see it before verbs a lot:

• 别说话 = Don’t talk.
• 别走 = Don’t leave.
• 别担心 = Don’t worry.

In this sentence, it is giving a warning or reminder.

Because when 我们 is used with 别, it includes both the speaker and the listener(s).

So:

• 我们别迟到

literally looks like we don’t be late, but in natural English it means:

• Let’s not be late.

This is a very common Mandarin way to make a shared suggestion or warning.

Compare:

• 我们走吧 = Let’s go.
• 我们别等了 = Let’s not wait anymore.
• 我们别迟到 = Let’s not be late.

Yes, that is understandable, but 我们别迟到 sounds more natural here.

The difference is roughly this:

• 别迟到 = very common, natural spoken don’t be late
• 不要迟到 = also correct, but often sounds a little more direct, explicit, or instructional

With 我们, native speakers often prefer:

• 我们别迟到

for the sense of let’s not be late.

迟到 is a very common verb meaning to be late or more literally to arrive late.

It is used for things like:

• school
• work
• meetings
• appointments
• trains, events, etc.

Examples:

• 上课别迟到。 = Don’t be late for class.
• 我今天迟到了。 = I was late today.

English often uses be late, but Mandarin frequently uses this single verb 迟到.

Here, 电影 most naturally means the movie or the film showing/screening.

So:

• 电影八点半开始 = The movie starts at 8:30.

If you want to say cinema as a place, Mandarin usually says:

• 电影院 = movie theater / cinema

So:

• 我们去电影院。 = We’re going to the cinema.

The comma separates two connected parts:

1. 电影八点半开始 = The movie starts at 8:30.
2. 我们别迟到 = Let’s not be late.

In English, you might say:

• The movie starts at 8:30, so let’s not be late.

Mandarin often just places the two clauses next to each other, with a pause. The logical connection is understood from context.

No. 半 basically means half, and with time it gives the very common pattern:

• X点半 = half past X

But 半 can also appear in other words, such as:

• 半天 = half a day
• 半年 = half a year
• 一半 = one half

In this sentence, though, it is specifically the time expression 八点半.