Here is a list of French light related vocabulary including lamps and light fixtures.
What is a Chandelier?
Made famous lately by a Sia song, a chandelier is a branched ornamental light fixture. Chandeliers are usually mounted on ceilings or walls and are typically quite ornate.
The English word chandelier comes from the French word โun chandelierโ. In French, โun chandelierโ can be the same thing as in English, a ceiling or wall light fixture, but it can also be a branched candlestick to hold candles, which you can put on a table for example.
A chandelier is also called a girandole or candelabra lamp.
19 French Light Terms
- La lumiรจre โ light
- รฉclairer โ to light up (a room for example)
- allumer โ to turn on a light
- รฉteindre โ to turn off a light
- un rรฉverbรจre โ street light
- une ampoule โ light bulb
- un abat-jour โ lampshade
- un interrupteur โ switch
- un variateur โ dimmer
- une chandelle โ candle (old-fashioned)
- une bougie โ candle
- une bougie dโanniversaire โ birthday candle
- un bougeoir โ candle holder
- une mรฉnorah โ menorah โ candle holder with 7 branches
- une hanoukia, chanoukiah โ candle holder with 9 branches
- un lumignon โ a very small candle, tea light candle
- une lampe torche, une lampe de poche โ flashlight
- une guirlande รฉlectrique โ electrical garland (see the French electrical vocabulary)
- une luciole โ firefly, lightning bug
11 French Light Fixtures and Lamps
- un luminaire โ light fixture
- une lampe โ lamp
- une applique murale โ wall fixture/wall lamp
- un spot โ spotlight
- une suspension โ long ceiling light
- un plafonnier โ short ceiling light (close to the ceiling)
- une lampe de chevet โ bedside table lamp
- une lampe de table โ table lamp
- une lampe ร pied โ amp on a stand, for the table or the floor
- un lampadaire โ floor lamp but also a street light
- un chandelier โ candlestick/chandelier light
5 Useful French Phrases to Talk About Lighting
- Tu peux allumer/ รฉteindre / augmenter/ baisser la lumiรจre ?
Could you turn on/ switch off / turn up/ turn down the light? - Il nโy a pas assez de lumiรจre ici ! On nโy voit rien !
There is not enough light in here! You canโt see anything! - Il lโa invitรฉe chez lui et a prรฉparรฉ un dรฎner aux chandelles.
He invited her to his place and prepared a candle light dinner. - Jโai besoin dโacheter des luminaires pour ma maison, mais je ne sais pas si je prรฉfรจre un plafonnier ou des appliques murales.
I need to buy lights for my house, but I donโt know whether I prefer a ceiling light or wall lights. - Dโabord une ampoule a grillรฉ et puis les plombs ont sautรฉ ! First a light bulb died, then the fuse blew!
5 French Idioms with Lights
- Ne pas รชtre une lumiรจre โ lit. to not be a light = to not be very bright.
- ร des annรฉes lumiรจres de = light years (away) from
- Ne pas รชtre allumรฉ(-e) ร tous les รฉtages = lit. to not be lit up on each floor: to be stupid
- รtre complรจtement allumรฉ(-e) = lit. to be totally lit up: to be crazy
- Watch out thoughโฆ Allumer qqโun = lit. to light someone up means to turn someone on sexually.








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