mental movie
Loading your saved state.
mental movie
The vivid imagining of a situation or story in one's own mind, as if a film were playing before the inner eye. The term is colloquial.
Als er von seinem Abenteuer erzählte, begann bei mir sofort das Kopfkino.
When he told me about his adventure, the mental movie started immediately for me.
The word is a figurative combination of 'der Kopf' (the head) and 'das Kino' (the cinema). It describes the idea that a film is playing in your own head, meaning a very vivid mental image.
Ihre Beschreibung war so detailliert, dass bei mir sofort das Kopfkino losging.
Her description was so detailed that the mental movie started immediately for me.
'Kopfkino' (mental movie) is a modern, colloquial word. You use it in informal conversation with friends, but generally not in formal or business texts.
Hör auf, dir Sorgen zu machen, das ist doch nur Kopfkino!
Stop worrying, that's just a mental movie in your head!
People often say that they 'Kopfkino haben' (have a mental movie) or that the Kopfkino 'beginnt' (begins) or 'losgeht' (starts). These expressions describe the onset of a vivid mental image.
Jedes Mal, wenn das Telefon nachts klingelt, habe ich sofort schlimmes Kopfkino.
Every time the phone rings at night, I immediately have terrible mental images.
idea / performance / introduction
'die Vorstellung' and 'das Kopfkino' both describe images or scenes in your own mind. 'die Vorstellung' is neutral and can be a simple idea or a mental image. 'das Kopfkino' is colloquial and refers to a particularly vivid scene that plays out almost like a film in your head. Learners may confuse the words because both refer to inner images. In normal or factual conversation, 'Vorstellung' is the safer choice. 'Kopfkino' fits better when you want to emphasize that the thoughts are very visual, strong, or sometimes even exaggerated.
Nach der spannenden Geschichte hatte ich sofort Kopfkino.
After the exciting story, I immediately had a mental movie playing in my head.
Vor dem Termin hatte Max eine genaue Vorstellung von dem Gespräch.
Before the appointment, Max had a clear idea of how the conversation would go.