German word

leuchten

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈlɔʏ̯çtn̩/

Meaning

  • verbshine

Example

Die Lampe leuchtet im Flur.

The lamp is shining in the hallway.

Illustration for leuchten (shine)

More examples

Seine Augen leuchten vor Freude.

His eyes shine with joy.

Core concept

A lamp or star sends out visible light that makes its surroundings bright.

Common phrases

  • vor Freude leuchten

    shine with joy

  • im Dunkeln leuchten

    shine in the dark

Similar words

scheinen: Radiate light that brightens the area around the source.
glänzen: Reflect light with a smooth, bright sheen.
funkeln: Shine with many small, sparkling flashes.
blinken: Flash on and off at regular intervals.

Definition in German

Licht abgeben; sichtbar hell scheinen.

Word origin

Leuchten comes from Old High German liohtan and is related to German Licht and English light through a Germanic light-word family.

Usage tips

  • In German, leuchten is normally intransitive, so Die Lampe leuchtet does not take a direct object.

Other meanings

  • glowverb
  • sparkleverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word