Learn Spanish: Avoid 100-Plus Gringo Mistakes: Learn To Avoid Over 100 Common Mistakes That Native English Speakers Make When Speaking Spanish by Jackson Patrick

Author:Jackson, Patrick [Jackson, Patrick]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Learning Like Crazy
Published: 2016-08-19T07:00:00+00:00

69. Estoy al cine.

That is not how you say “I am in the movies” or “I am at the movies.”

Native English speakers (or at least Americans) tend to use the Spanish word “a” (at) when a native Spanish speaker would use the word “en.” A couple of months ago, while I was at a movie theatre, I heard someone with a thick Gringo accent talking on his cell phone in Spanish. I heard him say:

“Estoy al cine,” which literally means “I am AT the movie theatre.” But native Spanish speakers do not speak that way. They would say “Estoy en el cine” (I am IN the movie theatre). Some native English speakers may prefer to say “I am IN the movie theatre.” Others may prefer to say “I am AT the movie theatre.”

In conversational or informal English, you may have a choice of which one to say. But you do not have a choice in Spanish. When you are talking about your location as opposed to your destination, you have to use “en” in Spanish. Here are some examples:

Estoy en el cine.

I am in the movies.

Estoy en la casa.

I am in the house.

I am at home.

Estoy en la tienda.

I am in the store.

Voy al cine.

I am going to the movies.

Ella va a la casa.

She is going home.

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