French Phrase
On se fait un ciné ?
Meaning
A friendly, informal way to suggest going to the movies together. It literally means ‘Shall we treat ourselves to a cinema?’, but it’s understood as ‘Do you want to go see a film?’
When to use
Use this phrase with friends, classmates, or close colleagues in a relaxed setting, such as after work, on a weekend, or when planning a spontaneous outing. It’s too casual for formal or professional contexts.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Onsefaitunciné?
On (indefinite pronoun)
‘On’ is used like ‘we’ in informal speech, even when referring to a specific group.
se faire + noun
The reflexive verb ‘se faire’ can mean ‘to treat oneself to’ or ‘to do something for oneself’, e.g., ‘se faire un café’.
ciné (colloquial)
‘Ciné’ is a short, informal way to say ‘cinéma’; it refers to going to the movies, not just watching a film at home.
Question intonation
Raising the pitch at the end (or adding a question mark) turns the statement into a casual suggestion.
🗨In Conversation
On se fait un ciné ce soir ?
Shall we go see a movie tonight?
Oui, super ! J’ai entendu dire que le nouveau Marvel est top.
Yes, great! I heard the new Marvel one is awesome.
✕Common Mistakes
On se fait un cinéma ?
Using the full word ‘cinéma’ after ‘se fait un’ sounds unnatural; the idiom requires the short form ‘ciné’.
On fait un ciné ?
Learners sometimes drop the reflexive pronoun, saying ‘On fait un ciné’, which loses the casual ‘treat ourselves’ nuance.
On se fait une ciné ?
Because ‘ciné’ is treated as a masculine noun, the article must be ‘un’; saying ‘une ciné’ is incorrect.
↔Alternatives
On va au ciné ?
Are we going to the movies?
On regarde un film ?
Do we watch a film?
On se fait un film ?
Shall we treat ourselves to a film?
On se fait une séance de ciné ?
Do we want to have a movie session?
Cultural Tip
In France, ‘ciné’ is a very common slang term, especially among younger people. The construction ‘se faire un …’ conveys a sense of treating oneself, so it adds a light‑hearted, almost celebratory tone to the invitation. If you’re in a more formal setting, replace it with ‘Allons au cinéma ?’ or ‘Voulez‑vous aller voir un film ?’. Also, note that regional accents may pronounce the final ‘é’ as /e/ rather than /i/, but the written form stays the same.