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Native speakers use "the bank" even if they are not speaking about the specific bank, but because with certain institutions the definite article is used to talk about the activity. As in "I went to the bank yesterday." Can I use these words with the too if I am talking about the activity: airport, café, restaurant, station, cinema library, museum? For example, "I went to the airport/cafe/restaurant/station/cinema/library/museum yesterday."

I have also learnt that it's not wrong to say "I went to a bank" if I am talking about an unfamiliar one. Can these words be used with the indefinite article in the same way? I mean these: airport, café, restaurant, station, cinema library, museum. If I am talking about unfamiliar ones. Here are my examples.

  1. "I went to an airport yesterday, but I had to stay there for hours because my flight was delayed."

  2. "I went to a café/restaurant with my friend yesterday."

  3. "I went to a station to meet my friend."

  4. "I went to a cinema." ( I don't think "a movies" is correct.)

  5. "I went to a library to borrow a book."

  6. "I went to a museum with my family last week."

Michael Seifert
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Antonia A
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    "A movies" is incorrect because "movies" is a plural countable noun. – Sydney Nov 09 '21 at 19:33
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    These words don't refer to the activity you would do at the place. "The library" doesn't mean "borrowing books". They refer to the general concept of the place itself. I don't know the term for it, but some words like these, as well as "the radio", "the bathroom", "television", "the dictionary" and so forth either have "the" or no article where you'd normally expect "a/an". This structure is often used for common things that there might only be one of in a community or home, but not necessarily. – gotube Nov 10 '21 at 05:41
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    @gotube (Well—an exception might be made for "the bathroom" as a euphemism—you might "go to the bathroom in your pants," which would be quite confusing to take literally...) – Andy Bonner Nov 11 '21 at 18:44
  • Related: https://ell.stackexchange.com/questions/49324/forgetting-to-take-my-id-to-the-bank-why-the-bank-and-not-a-bank – Doug Deden Nov 11 '21 at 22:33
  • @AndyBonner, I often go there in my pants, somewhat literally. Of course I might have to remove the pants when inside, depending on the activity I'm doing there. (so not like this) – ilkkachu Nov 12 '21 at 08:39

5 Answers5

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Yes, the station, the library etc. can mean 'the local one' or 'the one I usually go to'. This is less common with café and restaurant, probably because there is likely to be a wider choice of eating places in the speaker's local area - though Brits do talk about going to the pub!

Conversely, we're unlikely to refer to an airport/station because we go to the one that serves our region/town.

Kate Bunting
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    "I went to a cinema" seems unusual to Americans because we only use "cinema" to refer to movies and theaters collectively or attributively. Americans will say "I went to the theater", "I went to a theater" and "I much enjoy French cinema". "I went to the cinema" is probably considered only slightly unnatural by most American speakers. – David Schwartz Nov 10 '21 at 03:41
  • @Kate Bunting, so what native commonly use is "the airport", "the station", "the library", to talk about the local ones or the ones I usually go to and when talking about the activity not the place. Is "museum" also used in the same way? Sorry, you didn't mention it. And if I am talking about a large city with a few airports, Moscow for example, would my 6 sentences make sense if I use "an/a" to talk about one of those places? – Antonia A Nov 10 '21 at 10:41
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    If it's obvious which museum you went to, e.g. you are somewhere with only one museum, or perhaps you work at a particular museum, then "the museum" would be okay. If you are in e.g. London, it would be odd to say "I went to the museum" because there are many museums - "a museum" would be more appropriate. – TenMinJoe Nov 10 '21 at 13:07
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    In a place served by several airports or railway stations, or a city with several museums, you would probably name the one in question (unless the person you were speaking to already knew which one you meant). I can't imagine anyone saying "I'm picking up my friend from an airport" - it would sound as though you were being deliberately mysterious by not saying which one. – Kate Bunting Nov 10 '21 at 15:13
  • @Kate Bunting So each can be used with an/a except for airport. Right? Or do you mean "I am picking my friend from a station" is also unnatural? And regarding these "cafe", "restaurant", "cinema", "library" each of these can be used with an/a unlike the airport. Right? In the same way as TenMinJoe said if there are many. Right? – Antonia A Nov 10 '21 at 15:59
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    @KateBunting "I picked up my friend from a cinema" is the same kind of strangeness - I don't think it's a difference between airports and other places. – user253751 Nov 10 '21 at 16:28
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    I used airport as an example of the convention I explained in my first sentence - I didn't mean to imply that it was unique. I would say '...from the station' or '...from Central Station' (or whatever its name was). And I would borrow books from the library where I'm registered as a borrower , not from a random library. But I might go into a bank to use the ATM, or a café for a cup of tea. – Kate Bunting Nov 10 '21 at 17:02
  • @Kate Bunting, So only "museum" and "cafe" and "restaurant" in my sentences work with a when talking about a random one. Right? – Antonia A Nov 10 '21 at 18:10
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    If you're going to see a play or a film, you go to the theatre or the cinema, but you might walk past a cinema (just to confuse you). – Kate Bunting Nov 10 '21 at 18:38
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    You can use "a" with any of these, but usually you'd use "the" for anything specific enough to not cause confusion. As a native American english speaker, it would be more natural to say "the museum". However, if you're giving directions ("where can I find info on old planes?"), you might be more specific by saying "the aircraft museum" if there's only one in the area / that you know of, or "an aircraft museum" to be more general. – Cullub Nov 10 '21 at 19:03
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    @DavidSchwartz In UK English a "theatre" is a place with a stage and live actors not a place you would see a film. – deep64blue Nov 10 '21 at 20:53
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    One might well say "an airport" referring to one other* than one's home airport, perhaps the airport at the other end of a trip. "I came home through an airport that was arranged totally differently from ours. Fortunately I had plenty pf time to catch the flight home." for example. – David Siegel Nov 10 '21 at 22:39
  • @David Siegel, if there are many airports and stations would a native speaker use an/a before them and if they would in what situation? – Antonia A Nov 11 '21 at 07:10
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    @AntoniaA an/a before airport or station would typically only occur when even the general locality is completely unknown. I would say "I had to sleep in the airport in London" even though there are several airports in London. However, "Sorry I'm tired, I slept in an airport last night" if the airport in question is NOT one of the local airports. (E.g., I slept in the airport in London last night, but then flew to Paris this morning and I am talking to someone in Paris.) Using "a/an" before airport, station, library suggests to me that it could be anywhere. – brendan Nov 11 '21 at 09:36
  • @brendan, Do you mean you would use "an airport" because it's unknown to the person you are talking to? "Sorry I'm tired, I slept in an airport last night" if the airport in question is NOT one of the local airports. – Antonia A Nov 11 '21 at 10:16
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    @AntoniaA: Usually, if a city has multiple airports, there will be differentiation between them. They'll serve different airlines. Or one will focus on international flights, and the other will focus on domestic flights. So a person will normally book flights at the airport that flies their desired route for their desired fare, rather than just any airport. – dan04 Nov 11 '21 at 23:26
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    @Antonia A Correct, it is unknown, in the sense that the location of that particular airport has not come up in that conversation yet. – brendan Nov 12 '21 at 11:44
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I'm not sure I agree with Kate Bunting's answer. Consider the following:

  1. I went to the bank
  2. I went to the restaurant

The other answer argues that in either case (albeit the second case being less common) I would be referring to the one I usually go to. I would argue instead that they actually have different meanings.

In the first example, "I went to the bank" is referring to the concept of the bank (i.e. a generic place where I can do generic banking activities). In this way it is similar to "I took the train"; it doesn't matter which train I took because any train serves the same generic purpose of getting me to my destination.

In the second example, "I went to the restaurant" implicitly assumes that my listener knows which restaurant I mean. There is no generic meaning here because it does matter which restaurant; each one serves different food, has different prices, different atmosphere etc.

Context is important. Using your example of the airport:

"What are you doing today?"; "I'm taking my aunt to the airport" - airport is generic; the listener doesn't care which airport. What matters is today's activity.

"We need to be at the airport in 30 minutes" - the listener knows which airport I mean. It's a specific airport we need to be at.

You can identify which type of case it is by seeing whether or not you could substitute "the" with "a"/"an" and have the sentence still carry a similar meaning. E.g. contrast:

"I'm taking my aunt to an airport" (overall meaning is still the same although it is now not very idiomatic) with "We need to be at an airport in 30 minutes" (meaning is significantly different; the specific airport is now unknown).

Sometimes the distinction can be very subtle and you simply have to learn the specific case by heart instead of attempting to figure out a rule. For example, you might think that "pub" should behave in the same way as "restaurant", but you'd be wrong. "I went to the pub" actually has the generic meaning. That's a cultural thing; when a Brit says they are going to the pub what they really mean is they want to go for a drink and where they get it from is an unimportant detail.

JBentley
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    Very much. "I went to the clinic", "I went to the beach" are great examples of detailing a concept rather than a location. – BowlOfRed Nov 11 '21 at 01:01
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    @JBentley, do you mean here that the first sense below is possible but it's not idiomatic and that it's used in the generic sense, like "the airport" , however it is unlikely to be used, while the second means we need to be at an airport where "an" means "any"? This is the part I am asking about: "I'm taking my aunt to an airport" (overall meaning is still the same although it is now not very idiomatic) with "We need to be at an airport in 30 minutes" (meaning is significantly different; the specific airport is now unknown). – Antonia A Nov 11 '21 at 05:34
  • And when we go to the pub, it is rarely for a single drink. – Ken Y-N Nov 11 '21 at 06:44
  • I don’t see the distinction. You say any train serves the same generic purpose (traveling). I say any restaurant serves the same generic purpose (eating). – Tim Nov 11 '21 at 08:31
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    @AntoniaA Yes, that's right. – JBentley Nov 11 '21 at 10:24
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    @Tim With the train you don't care which train it is as you simply want to get to your destination. Most people don't go to a restaurant simply to serve the bodily function of eating. They go because they are in the mood for a particular cuisine or atmosphere. The specific restaurant you go to makes a difference, the specific train does not. – JBentley Nov 11 '21 at 10:26
  • @JBentley so an can be used before airport if I am talking about an unknown location. Before café and restaurant and a museum it is not unusual to use a but cinema, and station are used in the same way as airport with the indefinite article only if we are talking about an unfamiliar station and cinema. Right? – Antonia A Nov 11 '21 at 10:45
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    @AntoniaA Yes but note that while you could use a/an with station or airport, the situations where you would do so are fairly rare. There are not many times where you need to be at an airport (any airport). It's easier to imagine with a station. Perhaps you are driving in a group and someone lives on the other side of town and asks if you could drop him at a train station (any station) so that he can use the public transport system. Museum/cinema is a bit like restaurant/pub. In each case the specific one matters for the former but not so much for the latter. – JBentley Nov 11 '21 at 11:21
  • @JBentley sorry what do you mean by "In each case the specific one matters for the former but not so much for the latter." Could you tell me please? – Antonia A Nov 11 '21 at 16:58
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    @AntoniaA With "the museum" or "the restaurant" you refer to a specific restaurant or museum (because it matters which one you go to as they have differing characteristics). With "the cinema" or "the pub" they are generic as it is the activity (watching a movie or having a drink) which is important; whether you do it in a particular place is less important. – JBentley Nov 11 '21 at 17:26
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    I would argue that the difference between "the airport" and "an airport" isn't that one is known and the other isn't, but that one is definite (article) - a specific airport, another one won't do - and the other is indefinite (article) - any airport will do. – Tom Nov 12 '21 at 05:53
  • @JBentley so taking into your examples airport and station are usually used with the unless I am talking about the situations you described such as being in unfamiliar airports and stations. The cinema is with the usually too. Unless as Kate Bunting said "I walked past a cinema". A museum a restaurant a cafe are possible in the right context. The library is with the if I am talking about the one where I am registered. Perhaps imagining a context where I can say a library is possible? Could you tell me if my summary is correct? – Antonia A Nov 12 '21 at 05:57
  • This is the better answer indeed, compared to the currently top-voted answer. – justhalf Nov 12 '21 at 08:02
  • @justhalf - When I wrote my answer I didn't know that Antonia was going to want to go into such minute detail about every possible permutation! – Kate Bunting Nov 12 '21 at 08:59
  • @BowlOfRed Ah, "concept rather than location" is very interesting. – user253751 Nov 12 '21 at 11:28
  • @KateBunting, oh, thanks for replying! The way I see it, it's not about the permutation, but about distinction between the first and the second example in this answer, which is about "concept" instead of specific location, as evidenced by the first para in the OP question. – justhalf Nov 12 '21 at 11:30
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Yes, either a definite (the) or indefinite (a/an) article is valid in any of your sentences.

The distinction is that if you go to a place, then you might expect your listener to ask “Which one?”.

“I went to a museum with my family last week.”
“Which museum?”
“The Museum of Natural Science”

“I'm going to a wedding this Friday.”
“Whose wedding?”
“Jack and Jill's.”

But if you go to the place, then you expect your listener to figure it out from context, or assume a “default” that's the one that you usually go to.

  • “I went to the bank [where I have an account].”
  • “I met my friend at the airport [where her plane landed].”
  • “I went to the library [that's the only public library in my hometown] to borrow a book.”
dan04
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    I disagree with the second point; even if I live in a city with multiple airports, I would never say "I met my friend at an airport" if I am talking about a local airport where they arrived. I would always say "the airport" to be general, or name the specific airport. This doesn't mean I expect my listener to figure it out from context; if they want to know which one, or course they can ask. However, to make it more complicated, if I have a friend that I met for the first time while we were both having layovers in some distant city, then I would say "I met my friend at an airport". – brendan Nov 11 '21 at 09:28
  • @brendan do you mean either a definite (the) or indefinite (a/an) article is valid in any of my sentences except for the airport example and probably cinema too? – Antonia A Nov 11 '21 at 10:21
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    @Antonia A I would say airport, station, and library should always be "the" unless it is not local. For "museum" I would consider "a" and "the" almost interchangeable. In American English, "the movies" or "a movie" are both fine. Café/restaurant should usually be "a" unless you know that your listener knows which one you mean. – brendan Nov 12 '21 at 11:59
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I think it's worth a special short answer about the word "cinema." As a word for a place where you go to see movies, it has become rare in US English, where you would say "movie theater." If you go to see a movie, and it's not important which movie, it is common to say "I went to the movies." If you're in the US, talking about a specific movie, and want to say that you went out to see it, you might say "I saw it in the theater." (Using the word "the" in just the way that you are talking about.)

Sometimes, especially in writing or fancy contexts, "the cinema" is another way of saying "movies as an art form."

(Edited based on the comments.)

Mark Foskey
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    As an aside: "cinema" is still perfectly normal and current in British English. No-one here calls them "movie theatres" and the word "theatre" on its own only ever means a place where live plays are performed. The preview things that say "In theatres now" (which are obviously the same for the global audience) are the only context I have ever heard this usage in the UK. – Vicky Nov 12 '21 at 07:31
  • Thanks for clarifying that. I was pretty sure "cinema" was more common in the UK (and probably the rest of the world) than in the US, but good to know it's a pretty sharp usage difference. – Mark Foskey Nov 12 '21 at 17:06
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I think we would say "I went to the bank/hospital/theater/airport/supermarket/pharmacy/beach" because in all of these cases, the experience of going will be similar no matter which particular bank/hospital/etc. you actually went to.

However, it is "I went to a restaurant/museum/boutique" because with these, the experience depends on what sort of restaurant/museum/etc. you're going to.

This would also explain the difference between "I went to the cinema" and "I went to a movie." What cinema you went to doesn't affect the experience, but what movie you went to does.

And then back to "the pub." A pub is a specific type of restaurant, so once that is covered, the experience can now be assumed. The same can be said for "I went to the art museum."

On the other hand, if you say "I went to a supermarket," I would expect you to continue by telling me something interesting about that supermarket. For example, "I went to a supermarket once that had giant singing milk bottles."

A. R.
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