Η ταινία παίζεται στο σινεμά σήμερα.

The movie is playing at the cinema today.

Breakdown of Η ταινία παίζεται στο σινεμά σήμερα.

• σήμερα: today
• σε: at
• η ταινία: the movie
• το σινεμά: the cinema
• παίζομαι: to be played

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).

Could I say Η ταινία παίζει στο σινεμά σήμερα instead of παίζεται?

You will hear both, but they’re not equally neutral:

• Η ταινία παίζεται στο σινεμά σήμερα
  – more standard / neutral; the movie is being shown by the cinema.
• Η ταινία παίζει στο σινεμά σήμερα
  – possible, more colloquial or influenced by English (“the movie plays …”).

More typical active-voice usage is with the cinema or channel as the subject:

• Το σινεμά παίζει καλές ταινίες.
  The cinema shows good movies.
• Το κανάλι παίζει παλιές ταινίες.
  The channel shows old movies.

When the movie is the subject, παίζεται is the safest and most idiomatic choice for learners.

Is παίζεται reflexive, like “the movie plays itself”?

No. Modern Greek has a mediopassive voice that covers:

• true passives: Η ταινία παίζεται – The movie is being played / shown
• reflexives: Ντύνεται μόνος του. – He dresses himself.
• other middle meanings.

In this sentence, παίζεται is understood passively: someone (the cinema) is showing the movie. It does not mean “the movie plays itself.”

Could σήμερα go in another position? Does the word order change the meaning?

Yes, σήμερα can move around without changing the basic meaning:

• Η ταινία παίζεται στο σινεμά σήμερα.
• Η ταινία παίζεται σήμερα στο σινεμά.
• Σήμερα η ταινία παίζεται στο σινεμά.

All can mean: The movie is playing at the cinema today.

Differences are mostly about emphasis:

• Σήμερα η ταινία… – emphasizes today (as opposed to other days).
• Keeping σήμερα at the end is very common and sounds natural and neutral in everyday speech.

Greek word order is relatively flexible; the grammar is shown mainly by endings, not by position.

What exactly does στο mean, and where does it come from?

Στο is a contraction of:

• σε (a general preposition: in, at, to)
• το (neuter singular definite article: the)

So:

• σε + το → στο

In this sentence:

• στο σινεμά literally = “in/at the cinema”
• natural English: “at the cinema”

More examples:

• στο σπίτι – at home / in the house
• στο σχολείο – at school / to school

Why στο σινεμά and not something like στον κινηματογράφο? Is there a difference?

Both are possible:

• στο σινεμά – very common, informal/everyday; from French cinéma
• στον κινηματογράφο – more formal or neutral; literally “to the cinema (theater)”

Notes:

• το σινεμά is neuter and indeclinable:
  
  • nominative/accusative: το σινεμά, στο σινεμά
• ο κινηματογράφος is masculine:
  
  • accusative with σε: στον κινηματογράφο

Meaning-wise in everyday speech, they both mean the place where you go to watch movies.
You might also sometimes see:

• σε σινεμά – in (some) cinemas / at a cinema (more indefinite, less common in this exact sentence pattern).

Why is it Η ταινία and not Το ταινία? And can I drop the article?

Ταινία is a feminine noun, so it uses the feminine definite article η:

• η ταινία – the movie
• μια ταινία – a movie

Definite articles in the nominative singular:

• ο (masculine): ο φίλος – the friend
• η (feminine): η ταινία – the movie
• το (neuter): το σπίτι – the house

In this sentence, you cannot normally drop the article:

• Η ταινία παίζεται στο σινεμά σήμερα. – natural
• Ταινία παίζεται στο σινεμά σήμερα. – sounds like a headline or telegraphic style, not normal speech.

If you wanted “A movie is playing…”, you’d say:

• Μια ταινία παίζεται στο σινεμά σήμερα.

Does the Greek present here mean “is playing right now” or “is on today in general”?

The Greek present tense usually covers both English:

• present simple (“plays”)
• present continuous (“is playing”)

In Η ταινία παίζεται στο σινεμά σήμερα, with σήμερα added, it naturally means:

• The movie is on (is being shown) at the cinema today (on today’s schedule).

It does not necessarily mean “at this exact moment right now”; it could be any showtime(s) during today. Context would clarify if we mean “right this moment.”

Are there other common verbs, besides παίζεται, to say that a movie is being shown?

Yes, very common alternatives include:

• Η ταινία προβάλλεται στο σινεμά σήμερα.
  – The movie is being screened / shown at the cinema today.
  (προβάλλω / προβάλλομαι – to project / to be projected)

• Η ταινία βγαίνει σήμερα στο σινεμά.
  – The movie comes out in cinemas today. (release date)

• Η ταινία θα παιχτεί στο σινεμά αύριο.
  – The movie will be shown at the cinema tomorrow. (future: θα παιχτεί, aorist passive of παίζω)

But for a simple “is showing at the cinema today,” παίζεται is very common and natural.

How do you pronounce Η ταινία παίζεται στο σινεμά σήμερα?

Approximate pronunciation (IPA):

• Η ταινία παίζεται στο σινεμά σήμερα
  /i teˈnia ˈpezete sto sineˈma ˈsimera/

Syllable by syllable:

• Η – /i/
• ται-νί-α – /te-ˈni-a/ (stress on νί)
• παί-ζε-ται – /ˈpe-ze-te/ (stress on παί)
• στο – /sto/
• σι-νε-μά – /si-ne-ˈma/ (stress on μά)
• σή-με-ρα – /ˈsi-me-ra/ (stress on σή)

English-based rough guide:

• Ee te-NEE-a PE-ze-te sto see-ne-MA SEE-me-ra

Remember:

• αι is pronounced like e in “pet” (here: ταινία → /teˈnia/).
• Each vowel is sounded; ταινία has three syllables: τε-νί-α.