spegni la luce
To say "turn off the light" in Italian, you say spegni la luce.
This phrase is used to request that someone stops a light from shining by using a switch.
Which one should you use?
The opposite of spegni la luce is accendi la luce, which means "turn on the light".
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase is based on the verb spegnere, which means to turn off or extinguish. The form spegni is the informal singular imperative, used when speaking to one person you know well. The form spenga is the singular formal imperative.
Did you know?
- In Italian, you use the same verb spegnere for turning off a light, a television, a computer and even a cigarette.
- The word luce shares an ancient ancestor with the English word 'luxurious', as both stem from the concept of light and brightness.
- If you want to 'dim' the lights instead of turning them off, you use the verb attenuare, which describes making something less intense.
Examples in context
- Spegni la luce, per favore.Please turn off the light.This sentence is useful for practicing a polite request using spegni la luce.Tatoeba #385149 by Pharamp, translation #29826 by CK
- Spegni la luce prima di andare a letto.Turn off the light before you go to bed.This sentence shows how to use the phrase when talking about a bedtime routine with spegni la luce.Tatoeba #2168491 by Guybrush88, translation #268914 by CK
- Per favore, spegni la luce così posso dormire.Please turn off the light so that I can sleep.This sentence demonstrates how to use the phrase to explain a reason for the request using spegni la luce.Tatoeba #1546725 by Guybrush88, translation #1487270 by CK
- Ho dimenticato di spegnere la luce nella cucina.I forgot to turn off the light in the kitchen.
- Puoi spegnere la luce nella camera da letto?Can you turn off the light in the bedroom?
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
In a living room in the evening.
- ChiaraFrancesco, spegni la luce.Francesco, turn off the light.
- FrancescoVa bene, Chiara.Okay, Chiara.
- ChiaraGrazie, ora è buio.Thank you, now it is dark.
- FrancescoBuonanotte.Goodnight.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries la, luce, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
