In my dictionary (that's pretty famous in Japan), it says "go to see the movies" is wrong somehow.

Why "go to see the movies" is wrong? は英語 (アメリカ) で何と言いますか？

It also says that these below are okay.

go to a movie
go to movies
go to the movies
＊go to the movie　(a specific movie)

go to see a movie

go and see a movie　
go and see the movies
go and see movies

go see a movie　米話
go see the movies
go see movies
＊go see the movie　(a specific movie)

回答

Wailua

2022年2月10日

最も役に立った回答

英語 (アメリカ)
中国語 (繁体字、台湾)

You can say :

Go to the movies OR
Go to see a movie

But we don’t say “Go to see the movies” without further context.

I suppose it’s wrong because logically, we don’t know what movies the definite article “the” is referring to.

Note that in the expression “go to the movies”, what we are really saying is that we are going to a movie theater. It is a set expression and it does not mean that we are going to see multiple movies.

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Wailua

2022年2月10日

英語 (アメリカ)
中国語 (繁体字、台湾)

You can say :

Go to the movies OR
Go to see a movie

But we don’t say “Go to see the movies” without further context.

I suppose it’s wrong because logically, we don’t know what movies the definite article “the” is referring to.

Note that in the expression “go to the movies”, what we are really saying is that we are going to a movie theater. It is a set expression and it does not mean that we are going to see multiple movies.

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Wailua

2022年2月10日

英語 (アメリカ)
中国語 (繁体字、台湾)

More follows:

go to a movie (OK)
go to movies 米語ならダメだ
go to the movies (OK)
＊go to the movie　(a specific movie) (ok)
go to see a movie (OK)

go and see a movie　(OK)
go and see the movies これは実はgo to see the moviesと同じなので、文脈なしにはダメだと思う
go and see movies 本当に映画を数本も見に行くならOKだろう。でもなんとかちょっと不自然
go see a movie　米話　(OK)
go see the movies 指定された数本の映画を全部見に行くならOK
go see movies 本当に映画を数本も見に行くならOKだろう。でもなんとかちょっと不自然
＊go see the movie　(a specific movie) (OK)

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eyembitslow

2022年2月10日

日本語

@Wailua
Thank you for your clear and logical answer!!

It's true that there're some differences like a movie itself or a movie theather, collocation of "go to & movie" and "see & movie".

Now I understand why it's wrong!