accendi la luce
The English phrase "turn on the light" is translated into Italian as accendi la luce.
This phrase is used to describe starting the flow of electricity to a lamp or light fixture. If you want to ask for permission to turn on the light, you can say Posso accendere la luce? or more politely, Posso accendere la luce, per favore? Note that Lampadina is the Italian word for a lightbulb.
Which one should you use?
The verb used here is accendere (to turn on), which is specifically used for lights. Do not use aprire, which means to open, as that is used for things like doors or windows.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form accendi la luce uses the informal singular imperative, which is used when speaking to one person you know well. To tell a group of people to turn on the light, use accendete la luce. The infinitive form accendere la luce is used when the phrase acts as the subject or object of a sentence, such as in "I want to turn on the light".
Did you know?
- While English speakers 'turn' a light on, Italians use accendere, which literally means 'to set on fire'.
- The word luce is also used in Italian to describe the gap or space between two objects, such as the clearance between a bridge and the water.
- In Italian, the word luce can refer to the physical light itself or the electrical power supply in a building. If a resident says non c'è luce, they mean the power is out.
Examples in context
- Accendi la luce, per favore.Turn on the light, please.This sentence is useful for learning how to ask someone to turn on the light politely using accendi la luce.Tatoeba #529389 by Pharamp, translation #38817 by CK
- Accendi la luce, è buio qui.Turn on the light, it is dark here.
Example conversation
A dark living room in the evening.
- SofiaLorenzo, accendi la luce, per favore.Lorenzo, turn on the light, please.
- LorenzoSì, Sofia, lo faccio subito.Yes, Sofia, I will do it right away.
- SofiaGrazie, non vedo nulla.Thank you, I can't see anything.
- LorenzoEcco fatto, ora è tutto chiaro.There, now everything is clear.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
