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 “un chandelier”. In French, “un chandelier” 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 lumière – light
- éclairer – to light up (a room for example)
- allumer – to turn on a light
- éteindre – to turn off a light
- un réverbère – street light
- une ampoule – light bulb
- un abat-jour – lampshade
- un interrupteur – switch
- un variateur – dimmer
- une chandelle – candle (old-fashioned)
- une bougie – candle
- une bougie d’anniversaire – birthday candle
- un bougeoir – candle holder
- une ménorah – menorah – candle holder with 7 branches
- une hanoukia, chanoukiah – candle holder with 9 branches
- un lumignon – a very small candle, tea light candle
- une lampe torche, une lampe de poche – flashlight
- une guirlande électrique – electrical garland (see the French electrical vocabulary)
- une luciole – firefly, lightning bug
11 French Light Fixtures and Lamps
- un luminaire – light fixture
- une lampe – lamp
- une applique murale – wall fixture/wall lamp
- un spot – spotlight
- une suspension – long ceiling light
- un plafonnier – short ceiling light (close to the ceiling)
- une lampe de chevet – bedside table lamp
- une lampe de table – table lamp
- une lampe à pied – amp on a stand, for the table or the floor
- un lampadaire – floor lamp but also a street light
- un chandelier – candlestick/chandelier light
5 Useful French Phrases to Talk About Lighting
- Tu peux allumer/ éteindre / augmenter/ baisser la lumière ?
Could you turn on/ switch off / turn up/ turn down the light? - Il n’y a pas assez de lumière ici ! On n’y voit rien !
There is not enough light in here! You can’t see anything! - Il l’a invitée chez lui et a préparé un dîner aux chandelles.
He invited her to his place and prepared a candle light dinner. - J’ai besoin d’acheter des luminaires pour ma maison, mais je ne sais pas si je préfère un plafonnier ou des appliques murales.
I need to buy lights for my house, but I don’t know whether I prefer a ceiling light or wall lights. - D’abord une ampoule a grillé et puis les plombs ont sauté ! First a light bulb died, then the fuse blew!
5 French Idioms with Lights
- Ne pas être une lumière – lit. to not be a light = to not be very bright.
- À des années lumières de = light years (away) from
- Ne pas être allumé(-e) à tous les étages = lit. to not be lit up on each floor: to be stupid
- Être complètement allumé(-e) = lit. to be totally lit up: to be crazy
- Watch out though… Allumer qq’un = lit. to light someone up means to turn someone on sexually.
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