guān dēng: 关灯 - To Turn Off the Light(s)

• Keywords: guandeng, 关灯, turn off the light, switch off the light, Chinese for turn off light, 关灯 pinyin, opposite of turn on light in Chinese, guān dēng meaning
• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese phrase 关灯 (guān dēng), which literally means “to turn off the light.” This fundamental verb phrase is used daily in homes, offices, and public spaces across China. This guide breaks down the characters, provides cultural context on energy-saving, and offers 10 practical example sentences to help you master this simple yet crucial command.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): guān dēng
• Part of Speech: Verb-Object Phrase
• HSK Level: HSK 1 (for 关) / HSK 2 (for 灯)
• Concise Definition: To turn off a light or lights.
• In a Nutshell: 关灯 (guān dēng) is the direct and most common way to say “turn off the light” in Mandarin Chinese. It's a combination of the verb “to close” (关) and the noun “light” (灯), functioning as a single action. Think of it as “closing the circuit” for the light.

• 关 (guān): The character 关 means “to close,” “to shut,” or “to turn off.” Picture it as a gate or a barrier that you are closing. This single character is the key verb for turning off most electronic devices in Chinese.
• 灯 (dēng): The character 灯 means “light” or “lamp.” You can see the fire radical 火 (huǒ) on the left, hinting at its ancient connection to flame and illumination. The character on the right, 丁 (dīng), provides the sound.
• Combined Meaning: When you put them together, 关 (to close/turn off) + 灯 (light) creates the logical and intuitive meaning: “to turn off the light.”

While the action of turning off a light is universal, the phrase 关灯 (guān dēng) is frequently tied to the cultural value of thriftiness and saving resources (节约 - jiéyuē). It's very common for parents to remind their children “随手关灯 (suí shǒu guān dēng)“—”turn off the lights when you leave a room.” This isn't just about saving money on the electricity bill; it's often framed as a good habit and a responsible behavior for the collective good. In the West, reminders to turn off lights are common, but they are often framed around environmentalism (“save the planet”) or personal cost-saving. In China, while these reasons also exist, the act is often linked to a more traditional virtue of not being wasteful (不浪费 - bù làngfèi). Public service announcements and school campaigns often promote slogans like “节约用电，请随手关灯” (Save electricity, please turn off lights when you leave). This makes 关灯 more than just a simple action; it's a small, daily reflection of a widely held cultural value.

关灯 (guān dēng) is a high-frequency, practical term used in all informal and most formal situations.

• At Home: It's used as a simple command or a request among family members. For example, a parent telling a child, “去睡觉，关灯！” (Go to sleep, turn off the light!).
• In the Office: A colleague might say, “最后一个走的人记得关灯” (The last person to leave, remember to turn off the lights).
• In Public/Hotels: You will often see signs that say “请随手关灯” (Please turn off the lights when you leave) in restrooms, hotel rooms, and meeting rooms.
• As a command: The phrase can be used directly as an imperative: “关灯！” (Turn off the light!).
• As a polite request: Adding “请 (qǐng)” makes it a polite request: “请关灯” (Please turn off the light).

• Example 1:
  • 出门前别忘了关灯。
  • Pinyin: Chūmén qián bié wàngle guān dēng.
  • English: Don't forget to turn off the lights before you go out.
  • Analysis: A common reminder. “别忘了 (bié wàngle)” means “don't forget.”
• Example 2:
  • 太亮了，你可以关灯吗？
  • Pinyin: Tài liàng le, nǐ kěyǐ guān dēng ma?
  • English: It's too bright, can you turn off the light?
  • Analysis: A simple question using “可以…吗? (kěyǐ…ma?)” to make a polite request.
• Example 3:
  • 电影要开始了，快关灯！
  • Pinyin: Diànyǐng yào kāishǐ le, kuài guān dēng!
  • English: The movie is about to start, quick, turn off the lights!
  • Analysis: “快 (kuài)” adds a sense of urgency to the command.
• Example 4:
  • 孩子，睡觉的时间到了，把台灯关了。
  • Pinyin: Háizi, shuìjiào de shíjiān dào le, bǎ táidēng guān le.
  • English: Child, it's time for bed, turn off the desk lamp.
  • Analysis: This example shows how 关 (guān) can be separated from the object (台灯 - desk lamp) by using the 把 (bǎ) structure.
• Example 5:
  • 为了节约用电，我们办公室要求随手关灯。
  • Pinyin: Wèile jiéyuē yòngdiàn, wǒmen bàngōngshì yāoqiú suíshǒu guān dēng.
  • English: In order to save electricity, our office requires everyone to turn off lights when they leave a room.
  • Analysis: “为了 (wèile)” means “in order to.” “随手关灯 (suíshǒu guān dēng)” is a very common set phrase.
• Example 6:
  • 对不起，我走的时候忘了关灯。
  • Pinyin: Duìbùqǐ, wǒ zǒu de shíhou wàngle guān dēng.
  • English: Sorry, I forgot to turn off the light when I left.
  • Analysis: A useful sentence for apologizing for a common mistake.
• Example 7:
  • 你关灯了吗？我好像看到客厅还有光。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ guān dēng le ma? Wǒ hǎoxiàng kàn dào kètīng hái yǒu guāng.
  • English: Did you turn off the light? It seems like I can still see a light on in the living room.
  • Analysis: A typical question using the “了吗 (le ma)” particle to ask if an action has been completed.
• Example 8:
  • 我要看书，请不要关灯。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ yào kàn shū, qǐng búyào guān dēng.
  • English: I want to read, please don't turn off the light.
  • Analysis: Shows the negative command form, “不要 (búyào)” which means “don't.”
• Example 9:
  • 他一进房间就关灯，可能是想给我一个惊喜。
  • Pinyin: Tā yí jìn fángjiān jiù guān dēng, kěnéng shì xiǎng gěi wǒ yí ge jīngxǐ.
  • English: As soon as he entered the room he turned off the light; maybe he wanted to give me a surprise.
  • Analysis: The “一…就… (yī…jiù…)” structure means “as soon as… then…”.
• Example 10:
  • 所有的灯都关了吗？我们准备锁门了。
  • Pinyin: Suǒyǒu de dēng dōu guān le ma? Wǒmen zhǔnbèi suǒ mén le.
  • English: Are all the lights turned off? We're getting ready to lock the door.
  • Analysis: Here, the verb 关 (guān) is used to ask about the state of all the lights (所有的灯).

• The Opposite is 开灯 (kāi dēng): The most important concept to learn with 关灯 is its opposite: 开灯 (kāi dēng) - to turn on the light. The characters 关 (guān - to close/off) and 开 (kāi - to open/on) are a fundamental pair in Chinese for controlling electronics. You use them for TVs (开电视/关电视), computers (开机/关机), and air conditioners (开空调/关空调).
• Don't use “停 (tíng)”: A common mistake for beginners is to use the verb 停 (tíng), which means “to stop.” You might think “stop the light,” but this is incorrect. 停 is for stopping motion (e.g., 停车 - stop a car) or a process, not for switching off a device. Always use 关 (guān).
• Using “掉 (diào)” as a Suffix: You will very often hear people say “关掉 (guān diào)”. The character 掉 (diào) is a resultative complement that adds a sense of completion or finality, like “off” or “away.” “关灯” and “把灯关掉” mean the same thing, but 关掉 is very common in spoken Chinese and can sound slightly more emphatic.

• 开灯 (kāi dēng) - The direct antonym: “to turn on the light.”
• 灯 (dēng) - The noun for “light” or “lamp.”
• 电灯 (diàndēng) - A more specific word for “electric light.”
• 关 (guān) - The core verb meaning “to close” or “to turn off.”
• 开 (kāi) - The antonym verb meaning “to open” or “to turn on.”
• 关机 (guān jī) - To turn off a machine (e.g., phone, computer), following the same pattern.
• 节约用电 (jiéyuē yòngdiàn) - A set phrase meaning “to conserve electricity.”
• 熄灯 (xī dēng) - A more formal or literary term for “to extinguish a light.” It's often used for scheduled “lights-out” times in dormitories or military barracks.
• 随手关灯 (suíshǒu guān dēng) - A set phrase meaning “to turn off the light as a matter of course when leaving a room.” Literally “conveniently-hand turn-off-light.”