電気
でんき·denki
Meaning
electricity; electric light; light (in a room)
Nuance & Usage
電気 has two main everyday meanings: (1) electricity as a utility/power, and (2) the light in a room (synonymous with 電灯 — dentou). In daily conversation, 電気をつける (turn on the light) and 電気を消す (turn off the light) are extremely common phrases. 電気代 (denkidai) means electricity bill. Note: 電気 is NOT used for traffic lights (信号 — shingou) or flashlights (懐中電灯 — kaichu dento).
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes use 光 (hikari — light, radiance) when they mean the room light, but 光 is more abstract/poetic. In everyday speech, 電気 or 照明 (shoumei — lighting) is used. Common phrasing mistake: ✗ 電気をオンにする (too Engrishy) ✓ 電気をつける (natural Japanese). Similarly, ✗ 電気をオフにする ✓ 電気を消す.
Example Sentences (3)
部屋を出るときは電気を消してください。
へやをでるときはでんきをけしてください。
Please turn off the light when you leave the room.
電気代が高くなっています。
でんきだいがたかくなっています。
The electricity bill is going up.
暗いから電気をつけましょう。
くらいからでんきをつけましょう。
It's dark, so let's turn on the light.
Quick Quiz
Quick Quiz
N54 questionsTest your knowledge of 電気 with 4 different question types.
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