Why does someone "see" a movie but "watch" TV?

One goes someplace to see something. But when you sit passively and stare at something, you are just watching it.

One is active, the other is passive.

@zenvelo That’s actually a really good answer to a question that I was just idly wondering about.

On the other hand, I drove to a friend’s house to watch the GoT finale, which was an active thing.

Interesting.

I went to watch a football game the other day. I saw a bunch of drunk people there.

My off-hand guess it the eloquence of how various words fit together.

Did you watch goT passively, like you would in a movie theater, with very little movement or conversation, concentrating on the movie…really seeing it, or was it more relaxed with people jumping up at random times to fill their Solo cups from the bathtub so you kinda just watched it?

I’ve wondered the same thing!

On one hand, see and watch can be similar to hear and listen. One is passive (see and hear). While the other is active (watch and listen).

We were watching for whales. But we didn’t see any.

He heard his mom talking, but he really wasn’t listening to what she was saying.

Yet there is another aspect that makes see and watch trickier than hear and listen. And that is the aspect of time.

You watch something when you observe it over a period of time. And you see something when said observation occurs within a window of time.

I think this gets particularly confusing in this day and age since we don’t watch television the same way that we used to watch television. It’s no longer an ongoing spectacle that we tune into. Nowadays, we select a specific program whenever we want to see it.

I’d like to add a disclaimer that it’s 2:51AM and my answer may be totally be wrong because my brain cells are asleep.

There is no reason, just convention.
Also, I consider “seeing” to be the passive action, and “watching” the active one.

I think it may have more to do with @zenvelo ‘s answer. And that would arise from the way movies were presented upon their invention. There are hints for the difference in such expressions as “watching the clock” or the “watched pot”. It’s a very good and interesting question. Load up @Caravanfan with the appropriate GQs.

Probably the same reason you go up north, down south, back east, and out west.

What @ragingloli said.

@kritiper That’s great. I hadn’t thought of that, but you’re right.

@ragingloli And it has something to do with the medium. Last night I went go to “see” Ad Astra, but if I were to wait for it to be on Netflix or whatever, I would “watch” it.

Reason and convention aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive.

Take @kritiper ‘s example. Up north and down south are self-explanatory. Back east and out west probably became convention from how exploration progressed. Europe, Asia, and then the Americas. Thirteen colonies on the east coast and then moving west across the country.

I think the convention of using watch with television goes back to live television before DVRs and on demand.

Up all night. Still deliriously tired. But I think this makes sense? Ha.

Why do some use the word “film” instead of movie?

I watch streams but don’t pan for nuggets of gold.

I “watch” both movies and TV. I’m usually watching my movie on my TV. I don’t like the current price of movie tickets

@SEKA Sure. But if you go to a movie theater, do you go to “see” a movie or “watch” a movie?

@Caravanfan I don’t go to movie theaters but before I stopped going I always said that I was going to see a movie before the fact then say that I watched the movie after the fact.

@SEKA Interesting. After I see a movie I say, “I saw…”. For example, I saw Ad Astra two days ago.

I watch a movie, myself.

So if you want to take a friend to the movie theater, @Sagacious, would you say “You want to watch a movie tonight?”

I would say “You want to go watch/see a movie tonight?”

Either one works for me.

Plug this into your brain pan: The next time you suggest going to a movie be aware of the words you use.
And the next time you ask some one if they want to watch something on TV, be aware of the words you use.

As per my first response, I think of this often.

Though now I’m thinking about my brain having a pan.

I’ll get back to you. I have never thought about it before but I’m guessing it’s related to “trepan.” ...I got that word wrong. BRB.

I don’t go to movie theaters. It’s been over 20 years. I hate them….everything about them. Now, live theater is a whole different thing. But movies, I watch them at home or I don’t watch them. Well, about twice a year we go and watch a movie being screened in the park by the river. That’s a nice time if it’s cool and no bugs. Big if. People in the South say “let’s go to the movies.” (Like in Annie, the musical) I’m sure some people say they ‘see’ a movie but I don’t.
@Dutchess_lll