German Phrase
Vielleicht 'nen Film schauen.
Meaning
A casual suggestion meaning “Maybe we should watch a movie.” The phrase drops the full article ‘einen’ in favor of the colloquial ‘’nen’, which is typical in spoken German among friends.
When to use
Use this sentence in informal settings – when chatting with friends, family, or classmates about weekend plans. It’s not appropriate for formal emails or business contexts.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Vielleicht'nenFilmschauen
Vielleicht
An adverb meaning 'maybe' or 'perhaps', placed at the beginning of the sentence.
'nen (colloquial)
A spoken contraction of the masculine accusative indefinite article 'einen'. Common in informal German.
Film
A masculine noun; in the accusative case after the verb 'schauen' it takes the article 'einen' (here shortened to 'nen').
schauen
An infinitive verb meaning 'to watch' or 'to look at'. Used with a direct object in the accusative.
🗨In Conversation
Was wollen wir heute Abend machen?
What do we want to do this evening?
Vielleicht 'nen Film schauen.
Maybe we could watch a movie.
✕Common Mistakes
Vielleicht ein Film schauen.
The accusative article for a masculine noun must be 'einen', not 'ein'. In informal speech it becomes ''nen'.
Vielleicht 'nen Film schauen?
The phrase is a suggestion, not a question; a question mark changes the tone.
↔Alternatives
Vielleicht einen Film schauen.
Maybe watch a movie.
Wie wäre es mit einem Film?
How about a movie?
Lass uns einen Film ansehen.
Let's watch a movie.
Cultural Tip
The contraction ’nen is widely used in everyday conversation across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, but it should be avoided in formal writing or when speaking to strangers. In some regions (e.g., northern Germany) you’ll also hear ’nen pronounced more like ‘nen’ without the glottal stop.