Learn Hardcore Spanish (Spain): Esta tarde quiero ver una película en casa. - This afternoon I want to watch a movie at home.

Because it’s a demonstrative adjective modifying tarde. As an adjective, esta never carries an accent. The old accented form (ésta) was only for the pronoun and is now generally discouraged by the RAE except to avoid rare ambiguities—not the case here.

Does esta tarde mean “this afternoon” or “this evening” in Spain?

In Spain, tarde covers the afternoon and early evening (roughly after lunch until around 8–9 p.m.). So esta tarde can map to English “this afternoon” or “this evening,” depending on local convention and the exact time. After that, Spanish switches to esta noche.

Why is it esta and not este?

Because tarde is a feminine noun, so the demonstrative must agree: esta tarde. If the noun were masculine (e.g., día), you’d use este día.

Can I move the time phrase or the place around?

Yes. Spanish allows flexible word order for time/place adverbials. All of these are fine:

Esta tarde quiero ver una película en casa.
Quiero ver una película en casa esta tarde.
Esta tarde, en casa, quiero ver una película. The choice affects emphasis/rhythm more than meaning.

Why is yo omitted before quiero?

Spanish usually drops subject pronouns because the verb ending (-o in quiero) already shows the subject. Add yo only for emphasis or contrast (e.g., Yo quiero…, as opposed to someone else).

Why use ver and not mirar for a movie?

In Spain, the natural verb for watching movies/TV is ver. Mirar tends to mean “to look at” something specific or brief. While some regions may say mirar la tele, in Spain ver una película is the default.

Could I say voy a ver or veré instead of quiero ver? What’s the difference?

Quiero ver… states a desire/intention now.
Voy a ver… expresses a plan/near future (“I’m going to watch…”).
Veré… is simple future, often a prediction, promise, or decision at the moment of speaking. All are correct; choice depends on nuance (desire vs plan vs projected future).

Do I need the article una before película?

Yes—singular countable nouns in Spanish generally take an article. Ver película is ungrammatical in this context. If you mean movies in general, use the plural: ver películas.

What’s the difference between en casa, en mi casa, and en la casa?

En casa = “at home” (normally the speaker’s home) and idiomatic—no article.
En mi casa = explicitly “at my house,” clarifying whose home.
En la casa = “in the house” (a specific house as a building), not necessarily your home.

Why en and not a with casa?

En marks location (at/in): en casa = “at home.”
A marks direction (to): a casa = “(go) home.”
Compare: Estoy en casa vs Voy a casa.

Can I replace una película with a pronoun like la?

Only if the movie is specific/known from context. For example: ¿Has oído hablar de Oppenheimer? Quiero verla. With an unspecified, non‑specific movie, you keep una película.

Is película always feminine? Are there synonyms?

Yes, película is feminine (una/la película). Synonyms:

peli (very common, informal in Spain)
filme/film (more formal/press; filme is masculine) Day‑to‑day speech in Spain overwhelmingly prefers película or peli.

How do you pronounce quiero and what’s up with the silent u?

Quiero is roughly [kje-ro]. The u in qu is silent before e/i; it’s there to keep the hard “k” sound. If you wanted the u pronounced, you’d need a dieresis: qüe/qüi (rare).

Is saying Quiero… too direct or rude?

Not when you’re simply stating your plan. But when making a suggestion/request to others, me gustaría…, ¿te apetece/os apetece…?, or ¿quieres/queréis que…? sounds more collaborative:

Esta tarde me gustaría ver una película en casa.
¿Os apetece ver una película en casa esta tarde?

What’s the difference between esta tarde, hoy por la tarde, and por la tarde?

Esta tarde = specifically “this afternoon/evening (today).”
Hoy por la tarde = same as above; slightly more explicit with “today.”
Por la tarde = “in the afternoon” in general/habitually, not tied to today.

Do I need a comma after Esta tarde at the start?

Not required. With short adverbials, Spanish typically omits the comma: Esta tarde quiero… You may add one for a pause or with longer/stacked adverbials: Esta tarde, si llego pronto, quiero…

Is Estoy queriendo ver una película acceptable?

It’s not idiomatic in Spanish to use the progressive with querer for ongoing desire. Say Quiero ver…, Tengo ganas de ver…, or Me apetece ver… instead.

How would I say it if I plan to go out to the cinema?

Use cine:

Esta tarde quiero ver una película en el cine.
Or simply: Esta tarde quiero ir al cine.