What it means
تماشای فیلم (tamâshâ-ye film) refers to watching movies or films as a leisure activity, whether at a cinema or at home. The word تماشا (tamâshâ) is a borrowing from Arabic, where it carries the sense of watching or spectating. فیلم (film) is itself borrowed from English. Together they form the natural Persian phrase for film watching as a hobby or pastime. A close synonym is فیلم دیدن (film didan), which is equally common in everyday speech.
How to use it
- امشب دوست دارم خانه بمانم و تماشای فیلم کنم. (emshab dust dâram khune bemânam o tamâshâ-ye film konam.) “Tonight I want to stay home and watch a movie.”
- تماشای فیلم با خانواده یکی از سرگرمیهای مورد علاقهام است. (tamâshâ-ye film bâ khânevâde yeki az sargarmi-hâ-ye mored-e alâqe-am ast.) “Watching films with family is one of my favourite pastimes.”
- آخر هفتهها تماشای فیلم میکنیم. (âkhar hafte-hâ tamâshâ-ye film mi-konim.) “On weekends we watch films.”
- دیشب یه فیلم خوب تماشا کردم. (dishab ye film khub tamâshâ kardam.) “Last night I watched a good film.”
Cultural note
Cinema has been part of Iranian life since the late nineteenth century, and home film watching has expanded enormously since the widespread availability of satellite receivers and digital streaming. Friday evenings and public holidays are especially popular times for family film nights. Iranian cinema is internationally acclaimed, and many Iranians take pride in following both domestic productions and classic world cinema.