灯光

• Pinyin: dēng guāng
• Hanzi breakdown: 灯 = 火 (fire) + 丁 (phonetic); 光 = pictograph showing fire above a person, meaning brightness

Meaning

Lamplight; lighting; the light from lamps or fixtures. Refers to artificial illumination.

Broader than 灯 (lamp as an object), 灯光 focuses on the light itself — the glow, illumination, or atmosphere created by lighting. Commonly used when describing ambience, stage lighting, city lights, or the brightness of a room.

Examples

1. 舞台上的灯光突然变暗了，演出要开始了。 The stage lights suddenly dimmed — the show is about to begin.
2. 夜晚城市的灯光非常漂亮，远处看像星星一样。 The city lights at night are very beautiful, looking like stars from afar.
3. 这个房间的灯光太暗了，看书不方便。 The lighting in this room is too dim — it's not convenient for reading.

Usage Guide

Context: description, entertainment, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 请把灯光调亮一点，我看不清楚。(Please turn the lighting up a bit — I can't see clearly.)
• 灯光下她的脸看起来特别温柔。(Under the lamplight, her face looked especially gentle.)

Don't Say

• 用灯光来指自然光 (Don't use 灯光 for natural light like sunlight — it only refers to artificial light; use 阳光 or 光线 for natural light)

Origin & History

灯 means lamp or light fixture, and 光 means light or radiance. Together they refer to the light emitted by lamps.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal