beleuchten
The English phrase 'illuminate' is translated into German as beleuchten or erhellen.
Meaning: to shine light on something (verb)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA |
|---|---|
| beleuchten | |
| erhellen | /ʔɛɐ̯ˈhɛlən/ |
Both words mean to shine light on something, but they are used in different contexts.
Which one should you use?
Use beleuchten for the physical act of shining light on an object or area. Use erhellen for metaphorical or intellectual illumination, such as making a situation or a mind clear.
How does it change in a sentence?
For beleuchten, the 3rd person singular present form and the past participle is beleuchtet. For erhellen, the simple past tense is erhellte.
Did you know?
- The verb erhellen is closely linked to the word hell, which means both 'bright' and 'loud'.
- In German, you can use beleuchten to mean 'to examine' or 'to look at' a complex topic in a business or academic meeting, much like a spotlight.
- While 'illuminate' is a single word in English, German uses the prefix be- in beleuchten to turn the intransitive 'to shine' into a transitive verb that 'acts upon' an object.
Examples in context
- Ich benutze eine Taschenlampe, um dunkle Stellen zu beleuchten.I use a flashlight to illuminate dark areas.This sentence shows how to use beleuchten when referring to using a flashlight for dark areas.Tatoeba #1611034 by Espi, translation #1609346 by corvard
- Geniale Menschen sind Meteoren, zum Verbrennen bestimmt, damit sie ihr Jahrhundert erhellen.Men of genius are meteors destined to burn in order to illuminate their century.This sentence illustrates the metaphorical use of erhellen regarding people bringing light to a century.Tatoeba #997198 by Esperantostern, translation #391771 by Scott
- Die Sonne ist die Fackel, die Lampe des Universums, sie befindet sich in der Mitte, denn sie ist der beste Ort, um die Planeten zu beleuchten.The sun is the torch, the lamp of the universe, if it is situated in the central region it's because this is the best place to illuminate the planets.This sentence demonstrates the use of beleuchten in the context of the sun illuminating planets.Tatoeba #1908580 by al_ex_an_der, translation #1129380 by marcelostockle
Example conversation
Julian and Hannah are setting up a small garden party in the evening.
- HannahJulian, kannst du bitte die Terrasse beleuchten?Julian, can you please illuminate the terrace?
- JulianJa, ich schalte die Lichterketten ein.Yes, I am turning on the string lights.
- HannahDas sieht wunderbar aus, jetzt ist alles hell.That looks wonderful, everything is bright now.
- JulianSchön, dass dir die Beleuchtung gefällt.I'm glad you like the lighting.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “illuminate” translations and entries beleuchten, erhellen, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
