Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| allumer | /a.ly.me/ |
| mettre en marche | /mɛ.tʁ‿ɑ̃ maʁʃ/ /me.tʁ‿ɑ̃ maʁʃ/ |
| ouvrir | /u.vʁiʁ/ |
| démarrer | /de.ma.ʁe/ |
The primary way to express turning on an appliance, light, mechanism or functionality is with allumer. This is a common and versatile word. However, different French verbs are used depending on what is being activated: use ouvrir for water or gas, while allumer is used for electricity.
Which one should you use?
The choice of word depends on the object being activated. While allumer is used for lights and electronics, démarrer is specifically used for starting an engine or a computer process. For water or gas, instead of using a word for 'turn on', French uses ouvrir (to open). The antonym of allumer is éteindre (to turn off).
How does it change in a sentence?
allumer is a transitive verb, which means it requires a direct object, such as la lumière (the light).
How do you pronounce it?
The word allumer is pronounced /a.ly.me/ and consists of three syllables.
Did you know?
- The word démarrer is built from amarrer, which means 'to moor' or 'to tie up' a boat. To 'turn on' an engine is literally to 'un-moor' it.
- While allumer is used for electronics, French speakers use the same word for lighting a candle or a fire with a match.
- The word marche in the phrase mettre en marche shares a root with the English word 'march', relating to the concept of movement or progress.
Examples in context
- Puis-je allumer la radio ?May I turn on the radio?This sentence is useful for asking permission to turn on the radio using allumer.Tatoeba #4956888 by sacredceltic, translation #1328248 by Eldad
- Merci d'allumer la lumière.Please turn on the light.This sentence is useful for requesting that someone turn on the light using allumer.Tatoeba #3659685 by sacredceltic, translation #279150 by CK
- Puis-je allumer la lumière ?May I turn on the light?This sentence is useful for asking permission to turn on the light using allumer.Tatoeba #5737029 by Petrus, translation #6849762 by CK
- Veuillez allumer la lumièrePlease turn on the light
- Je vais allumer l'ordinateurI am going to turn on the computer
- Pouvez-vous mettre en marche la machine?Can you turn on the machine?
- Je vais mettre en marche la voitureI am going to start the car
- Démarre le moteur de la tondeuseStart the lawnmower engine
- Je vais démarrer la console de jeuI am going to start the gaming console
- Je ne sais pas comment démarrer cette vieille moto.I don't know how to start this old motorcycle.
- Pouvez-vous allumer la climatisation, s'il vous plaît?Can you turn on the air conditioning, please?
- Veuillez mettre en marche le générateur en cas de panne de courant.Please start the generator in case of a power outage.
- 25 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Chloé are in their dark living room in the evening.
- GabrielChloé, il fait noir ici.Chloé, it is dark in here.
- ChloéTu peux allumer la lumière, s'il te plaît ?Can you turn on the light, please?
- GabrielOui, je vais allumer la lampe.Yes, I will turn on the lamp.
- ChloéMerci, Gabriel.Thanks, Gabriel.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “turn on” translations and entries allumer, mettre en marche, ouvrir, démarrer, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries allumer, démarrer, en, marche, mettre, ouvrir, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
