To light or illuminate. Alumbrar vs. encender vs. illuminar

[NanSanPedro]

So alumbrar was my word del día from SpanishDictionary.com. I'm not at all clear what, if any differences there are between it, encender, and illuminar. I would suspect that illuminar is a cognate for illuminate, but am unsure of even that.

Anyone know more?

Thanks

Rob

 

[cavok]

So alumbrar was my word del día from SpanishDictionary.com. I'm not at all clear what, if any differences there are between it, encender, and illuminar. I would suspect that illuminar is a cognate for illuminate, but am unsure of even that.

Anyone know more?

Thanks

Rob

Not an expert opinion here, but from usage that I've heard, "encender" is used more as in "light the fire" or 'turn on the lights'("prenda la luz" is heard more often here). "Illuminar" is used to as in "shine the light" or "I need more light". Also as in "enlighten me". There's probably other uses, too.

 

[Marianopolita]

So alumbrar was my word del día from SpanishDictionary.com. I'm not at all clear what, if any differences there are between it, encender, and illuminar. I would suspect that illuminar is a cognate for illuminate, but am unsure of even that.

Anyone know more?

Thanks

Rob

Alumbrar is a synonym of iluminar it has the same meaning but alumbrar also has other meanings such as to give birth (dar a luz) and it is also used in the sense of to figure out something or shed light on a problem.

Both are more formal usage but you will hear it depending on the speaker and if you read in Spanish you will come across that usage.

 

[Marianopolita]

Do you listen to bachata at all and if so are you hearing and/or understanding the lyrics?

When I saw your post the first thing I thought of was a song by Raulin Rodríguez- Dame tu querer.

‘Esos ojitos tan verdes, ay, que te iluminan la cara’….

It’s the same meaning as alumbrar in the first line of the verse.

 

[Lucifer]

So alumbrar was my word del día from SpanishDictionary.com. I'm not at all clear what, if any differences there are between it, encender, and illuminar. I would suspect that illuminar is a cognate for illuminate, but am unsure of even that.

Anyone know more?

Thanks

Rob

And in addition to the explanations given by cavok and MP, I'd like to add that encender also applies to other situations:

Encender el auto (turn on the ignition)
Encender pasiones (ignite, provoke, cause)

 

[Marianopolita]

And in addition to the explanations given by cavok and MP, I'd like to add that encender also applies to other situations:

Encender el auto (turn on the ignition)
Encender pasiones (ignite, provoke, cause)

Which would you say is more common?:

Encender el carro or arrancar el carro.

I say arrancar el carro.

For example, el carro no arranca cuando hace mucho frío 🥶

 

[cavok]

I'd say arrancar is more common here. That's not to say encender el auto is never used.

 

[El Hijo de Manolo]

shed light on a problem.

Yes, I would use this in the case of the big "Ah ha" shed light but more like, the solution came to me in a dream, the big reveal.

 

[El Hijo de Manolo]

Which would you say is more common?:

Encender el carro or arrancar el carro.

I say arrancar el carro.

For example, el carro no arranca cuando hace mucho frío 🥶

Arrancar is more forceful like I would like to arranca su cabeza. I had a maid once and I said let's arranca la lavadora and she made jesting motion like she was gonna rip it out of it's spot.

 

[Marianopolita]

I'd say arrancar is more common here. That's not to say encender el auto is never used.

Car:

El carro = generic word for car in Latin America
El coche= used in Spain

Any other usage is in between.

Arrancar el carro seems more common to me in general in Latin America.

 

[Marianopolita]

Arrancar is more forceful like I would like to arranca su cabeza. I had a maid once and I said let's arranca la lavadora and she made jesting motion like she was gonna rip it out of it's spot.

I am not questioning the meaning of arrancar. I was inquiring which is more common in Lucifer’s observation.

arrancar vs encender el carro….has nothing to do with which one has more force.

 

[Marianopolita]

Yes, I would use this in the case of the big "Ah ha" shed light but more like, the solution came to me in a dream, the big reveal.

Okay so how about an example in a phrase (yours and not the dictionary 😉)

 

[El Hijo de Manolo]

I am not questioning the meaning of arrancar. I was inquiring which is more common in Lucifer’s observation.

arrancar vs encender el carro….has nothing to do with which one has more force.

And I was just posting my thoughts on arrancar. You don't have to be such a see you next Tuesday. You need lighten up maybe there would be more interesting content here.

 

[Marianopolita]

And I was just posting my thoughts on arrancar. You don't have to be such a see you next Tuesday. You need lighten up maybe there would be more interesting content here.

I don’t need to respond to this.

 

[El Hijo de Manolo]

I don’t need to respond to this.

At least I was able to screen capture it 😂

 

[JD Jones]

Which would you say is more common?:

Encender el carro or arrancar el carro.

I say arrancar el carro.

For example, el carro no arranca cuando hace mucho frío 🥶

I'll tell you what, I think I've heard prendela or dale more times than I've heard the other two of those combined

 

[cavok]

Car:

El carro = generic word for car in Latin America
El coche= used in Spain

Any other usage is in between.

Arrancar el carro seems more common to me in general in Latin America.

I've heard auto used -probably in Miami where Spanglish is common. A quick search says it's also common usage in Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile.

 

[cavok]

The word for a starter motor here is "arrancador".

 

[Sol09]

I have always heard and used prender

Prende El carro
Prende la Luz
Prende la estufa

 

[Lucifer]

The word for a starter motor here is "arrancador".

I've also heard folks refer to a car starter as a motor de arranque.