電灯（でんとう、dentou）
- electric light

The Japanese word 電灯 (電灯, でんとう) means "electric light" or "light". It refers specifically to artificial light produced by electricity. It can be used to describe various types of electric lighting fixtures, from light bulbs to lamps.

⚫︎部屋には電灯が一つしかない。 Translation: There is only one light in the room. ⚫︎新しい電灯はとても明るい。 Translation: The new light is very bright. ⚫︎寝る前に電灯を消してください。 Translation: Please turn off the light before you sleep.

You use 電灯 (電灯, でんとう) when you're talking about artificial light powered by electricity. It's a common and practical word. You might use it when describing the lighting in a room, discussing the need for better lighting, or asking someone to turn off a light. It is commonly used in everyday conversation.

⚫︎The word is primarily written using kanji and hiragana: 電灯 (電灯, でんとう). ⚫︎電灯 uses the kanji 電 (den) which means "electricity," and the kanji 灯 (tou) which means "light" or "lamp." The pronunciation is でんとう (dentou) in hiragana. ⚫︎There are no significant variations in okurigana for this word.

⚫︎照明 (しょうめい, shoumei): "illumination," a broader term for lighting. ⚫︎ライト (raito): "light" (loanword).

⚫︎There is no single direct antonym. However, when contrasting with artificial light, you might mention words related to natural light, such as: ⚫︎太陽 (たいよう, taiyou): "sun" ⚫︎月 (つき, tsuki): "moon" ⚫︎Or you might describe darkness, such as: ⚫︎暗い (くらい, kurai): "dark"

古い電灯はちらちらしていて、交換が必要だ。 ・Translation: The old light is flickering, and it needs to be replaced. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the condition of an old light and indicates the need for a replacement.

停電で電灯が消えてしまった。 ・Translation: The power went out, and the light went out. ・Explanation: This sentence describes a situation where the power failure caused the electric lights to turn off.

The word 電灯 (電灯, でんとう) is a compound word. 電 (den) comes from the word for "electricity". 灯 (tou) means "light," or "lamp". Together they form the word for "electric light." It was likely adopted during the Meiji period, when Western technology and concepts, including electric lighting, were introduced to Japan.