encender la luz
/enθendeɾ la luθ/from spelling rules
The English phrase "turn the light on" is encender la luz in Spanish.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In certain Latin American countries, such as Mexico and Colombia, you may hear the variation Prende la luz. or the question ¿Me puedes prender la luz?
How does it change in a sentence?
The form encender la luz is the infinitive and is used after other verbs, such as quiero (I want). To express the past tense for "I turned the light on," use the preterite form encendí la luz.
How do you pronounce it?
/enθendeɾ la luθ/
Did you know?
- The Spanish word encender shares a common ancestor with the English word 'incense'. Both come from the Latin word incendere, which means to set on fire.
- If you are in a country like Spain, you might hear the word luz used to refer to the electric utility or 'the electricity' itself, such as 'se fue la luz' meaning 'the power went out'.
- The word luz refers not only to the light from a lamp but is also used in Spanish to describe the 'light' of a window or an opening in a wall.
Examples in context
- Cuando llegue a la sala de conferencias, por favor encienda la luz.When you arrive at the conference room, please turn on the light.
- Como hace mucho calor afuera, le agradecería si pudiera encender la luz del ventilador.Since it is very hot outside, I would appreciate it if you could turn on the light of the fan.
- ¿Puedes encender la luz del baño antes de entrar?Can you turn on the bathroom light before entering?
- ¿Puedes encender la luz, por favor?Can you turn the light on, please?
- Necesito encender la luz para leer.I need to turn the light on to read.
Example conversation
Javier and Elena enter a dark room.
- JavierEstá muy oscuro aquí.It is very dark in here.
- ElenaTienes razón, voy a encender la luz.You are right, I will turn the light on.
- JavierGracias, Elena.Thank you, Elena.
- ElenaDe nada, Javier.You're welcome, Javier.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries encender, la, luz, CC BY-SA 4.0.
