Saying "you must also see the cinema" (definite) to refer to a cinema (indefinite)

[ghoul]

I know of a phrase called "go to the cinema". If I understand it correctly, it usually refers to an indefinite cinema even though the definite article is used in sentences such as "I like going to the cinema". So I wonder if it can be used in the sentence "you must also see the cinema" (context: I list things someone could do in Frankfurt to a tourist) to refer to an indefinite cinema.
It's somewhat unclear to me when I can use definite articles for indefinite nouns in English. I'd like to know about some rules on that.

 

[teechar]

So I wonder if it can be used in the sentence "you must also see the cinema" (context: I list things someone could do in Frankfurt to a tourist) to refer to an indefinite cinema.

No. "See the cinema" suggests going to see (visit) a particular (famous) cinema. Note that "go to the cinema" means go to watch a film at some (not a specific) cinema.

It's somewhat unclear to me when I can use definite articles for indefinite nouns in English. I'd like to know about some rules on that.

It's not easy, but the more familiar you become with the language (by listening to and reading native material), the easier it gets.

 

[ghoul]

Note that "go to the cinema" means go to watch a film at some (not a specific) cinema.

I assume if a more or less common phrase is idiomatic like that I'll always find it in some dictionary, no?

 

[emsr2d2]

I assume if a more or less common phrase is idiomatic like that I'll always find it in some dictionary, no?

No. Dictionaries are for looking up the meaning of single words. Some dictionaries might give some example sentences containing the relevant word. However, looking up "cinema" doesn't necessarily mean you'll find a sentence with "go to the cinema" in. It also depends on the main variant of English used by that particular dictionary. For example, you wouldn't find "go to the cinema" if it concentrates on American English because the phrase isn't used in that variant.
In BrE, "Let's go to the cinema", "Let's go to the pictures" and (old-fashioned) "Let's go to the flicks" all mean "Let's go out to watch a film at a cinema". If you live somewhere with just one cinema, the listener will almost certainly know which cinema you're referring to (unless the speaker wants to travel to a different town) but if there's more than one cinema, there's no way of knowing which one they're suggesting.
The phrase has very little to do with the cinema itself (the building). It's all about going out and watching a film on the big screen, rather than watching one at home.

 

[5jj]

With a number of places, we sometimes view the activity as more important than the place. Thus 'I'm going to the pub' may simply mean 'I am going out for a drink'. Although the speaker almost certainly knows which pub they will be drinking in, that is not of any significance, and they do not expect the listener to know which pub it is. similarly, as teechar noted, "go to the cinema" means go to watch a film at some (not a specific) cinema.

The same is true of such 'institutions' as bank, library, post office, opera, etc.

 

[ghoul]

No. Dictionaries are for looking up the meaning of single words. Some dictionaries might give some example sentences containing the relevant word.

The Cambridge Dictionary (online) actually does contain that phrase. (1) I assume you mean physical dictionaries? I remember only seeing single words in those.