Η ταινία παίζεται στο σινεμά σήμερα.

today

Breakdown of Η ταινία παίζεται στο σινεμά σήμερα.

• σε: at
• η ταινία: the movie
• το σινεμά: the cinema

Questions & Answers about Η ταινία παίζεται στο σινεμά σήμερα.

Why does the sentence use παίζεται (literally “is played”) for a movie?

In Greek, the verb παίζω (active: “I play”) is commonly used for things like:

• movies
• plays
• TV programs
• songs

When something is being shown/performed, Greeks often use the mediopassive form παίζομαι (“to be played / to be shown”).

So Η ταινία παίζεται στο σινεμά σήμερα literally means:

• The movie is being played at the cinema today,
  which in natural English is:
• The movie is showing at the cinema today or
• The movie is playing at the cinema today.

Using παίζεται here is completely idiomatic Greek.

What exactly is the form of παίζεται (tense, person, voice)?

Παίζεται is:

• present tense
• mediopassive voice (often called “passive” in simple grammar explanations)
• 3rd person singular

It comes from:

• Active: παίζω – “I play”
• Mediopassive: παίζομαι – “I am played / I am shown”

Present mediopassive of παίζομαι:

• εγώ παίζομαι – I am played / I am shown
• εσύ παίζεσαι – you are played / shown
• αυτός / αυτή / αυτό παίζεται – he / she / it is played / shown
• εμείς παίζόμαστε – we are played / shown
• εσείς παίζεστε – you are played / shown
• αυτοί / αυτές / αυτά παίζονται – they are played / shown

So παίζεται matches η ταινία (3rd person singular).