accendere

to turn on, to light

verb aht-CHEN-deh-reh Less Common

Also means

to ignite

Usage Note

Accendere is used for turning on lights, appliances, and engines (accendere la luce, accendere la macchina), as well as lighting fires or candles. Its reflexive accendersi means 'to light up' or 'to flare up' emotionally. The opposite is spegnere (to turn off/extinguish). It takes avere as its auxiliary in compound tenses.

Examples

"Puoi accendere la luce, per favore?"

Natural Translation

Can you turn on the light, please?

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