films
films — noun
- filmssingular
- filmsesplural
1. A story told through moving images and sound, shown in a movie theatre, on telev
A story told through moving images and sound, shown in a movie theatre, on television, or through an online service.
Sofia and her friends watched two films at the mall on Saturday.
The director's latest films have won awards at festivals in Taipei and Tokyo.
collocation: win awards at festivals
Many older films are now available to watch on streaming services.
Lotte rented three classic French films from the library last weekend.
Sayaka prefers to watch films with Chinese subtitles to improve her Mandarin.
- movie
more common in American English; less formal
- motion picture
formal term, common in awards ceremonies and legal contexts
文法句型
watch + film
make + film
direct + film
用法筆記
In British English, 'film' is the usual word for a motion picture; in American English, 'movie' is far more common in everyday speech.
常見錯誤
2. A thin, light-sensitive material used in traditional cameras to capture photogra
A thin, light-sensitive material used in traditional cameras to capture photographs, before digital technology became the standard.
The photographer loaded a roll of film into her old Canon camera.
collocation: roll of film
Ilan keeps his exposed films in a cool, dark box until developing.
Before digital cameras, every roll of film held only thirty-six photos.
The shop still sells black-and-white film for classic photography.
文法句型
roll of + film
film + is + [adjective]
exposed + film
用法筆記
As a mass noun ('film is sensitive to light'), it has no plural; the plural 'films' is used when referring to multiple rolls or different types of photographic film.
常見錯誤
3. A very thin covering or coat of a substance that spreads over a surface.
A very thin covering or coat of a substance that spreads over a surface.
A thin film of oil floated on the surface of the soup.
grammar pattern: a thin film of + [substance]
The morning rain left a film of water across the car windows.
Dust formed a grey film on the bookshelf after months without cleaning.
Adaeze wiped the film of grease off the kitchen counter with a cloth.
文法句型
a film of + [substance]
a thin film of + [substance]
4. The art, business, and culture of creating and presenting motion pictures, regar
The art, business, and culture of creating and presenting motion pictures, regarded as a creative field and industry.
Asher moved to Taipei to study film at the National University of the Arts.
The history of film includes pioneers from many countries around the world.
Stephanie wrote a report on women directors in modern Indian film.
Taiwan's film industry has produced several internationally acclaimed movies.
文法句型
the film industry
study + film
in + film
用法筆記
This sense is always uncountable and is used without an article when referring to the medium in general: 'She works in film,' not 'She works in the film' (though 'the film industry' is fine).
常見錯誤
films — verb
- filmspresent simple I / you / we / they
- filmses3rd person singular
- filmsing-ing form
- filmsedpast simple
1. A person films something when they point a video camera at an event, a scene, or
A person films something when they point a video camera at an event, a scene, or a performance and record the action as moving pictures that can later be edited into a finished production.
The documentary team filmed the sea turtles laying eggs on the beach at night.
Nicholas filmed his sister's wedding with a small handheld camera.
Rania filmed a short cooking video for her YouTube channel last Tuesday.
The news crew filmed the mayor opening the new library in Hualien.
Dewi filmed the entire school concert from the back row of the auditorium.
- shoot
informal; common in the film production industry
- record
more general; can refer to audio or video
- capture on video
descriptive phrase; avoids medium-specific terminology
文法句型
film + noun phrase
be filmed + [location]
film + [person/event] + [participle]
用法筆記
Common passive construction: 'The scene was filmed in Kaohsiung.' Can also be used intransitively with a location: 'They are filming on location in Taitung.'