French · Home, Clothes & Daily Life

"Light" in French: lumière

la lumière

Say it: lü-MYEHRfeminine · la lumièrenoun/ly.mjɛʁ/

Light in French as illumination is la lumière. Say Allume la lumière and Éteins la lumière. Daylight is la lumière du jour; a lamp gives de la lumière.

Entering a dark room

Tu allumes la lumière, s'il te plaît ?
Will you turn the light on, please?
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How to pronounce lumière

Say it

lü-MYEHR

/ly.mjɛʁ/

lü-MYEHR. ü as in tu; stress on MYEHR.

"Light" in French: quick reference

FrenchEnglish
la lumièrethe light

Illumination.

allumer / éteindre la lumièreto turn the light on / off

Switches.

la lumière du jourdaylight

Natural light.

une lumière doucesoft light

Mood.

How to use lumière in real life

  1. 1Entering a dark room

    Tu allumes la lumière, s'il te plaît ?

    Will you turn the light on, please?

    Allumer la lumière.

  2. 2Cinema seats

    La lumière baisse juste avant le film.

    The light dims right before the film.

    House lights.

  3. 3Desk setup

    Il me faut plus de lumière pour lire.

    I need more light to read.

    Amount of light.

Mistakes English speakers make with lumière

Incorrect: Allume le lumière.

Correct: Allume la lumière.

Lumière is feminine: la lumière.

Incorrect: Ferme la lumière.

Correct: Éteins la lumière.

Turn off with éteindre, not fermer.

Good to know

In flats, people say la lumière for ceiling lights and une lampe for a lamp. Light as not-heavy is léger—different word. Photographers chase la lumière du nord near windows.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Settling in for a movie night

  1. ChatPal

    J'éteins la lumière ?

    Shall I turn off the light?

  2. You

    Oui, éteins la lumière, on démarre.

    Yes, turn off the light—we're starting.

  3. ChatPal

    Il reste une petite lumière près du canapé.

    There's still a little light by the sofa.

  4. You

    C'est parfait comme ça.

    That's perfect like that.

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"Light" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Light" in French

How do you say light in French?

La lumière for illumination.

How do I turn the light on?

Allume la lumière.

How do I turn it off?

Éteins la lumière.

Is light as in not heavy the same?

No—that is léger / légère.

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