Ligar vs. Acender: Turn On a Light or Device in Portuguese — Practice

Use ligar for switching on many devices

Ligar commonly means to switch on a device or start an appliance: ligar a televisão, ligar o computador, ligar o ar-condicionado. Its opposite is desligar. It also has other meanings, such as making a phone call, so the object tells you which sense is intended.

For a light, Brazilian speakers use both ligar a luz and acender a luz. They often describe the same everyday action, with acender drawing attention to making the light come on.

Use acender for a flame or a source of light

Acender means to light, ignite, or make something shine. It is a natural choice for a candle, match, or fire: acender uma vela, acender um fósforo. Apagar is often used for extinguishing a flame and is also common for turning a light off. For electronics, ligar and desligar are the reliable pair.

Remember: Use ligar/desligar for most devices; use acender/apagar for flames and sources of light. For lights, ligar and acender overlap in everyday Brazilian Portuguese.

Check your understanding

Choose the English meaning of each Portuguese example. Answer before looking back at the tables. These questions check the written examples in this guide; they are not a listening or proficiency test.

Recall the Portuguese, then say it

Read the English prompt and say a Portuguese version before opening the answer. The answer shows the example from the lesson; other natural translations may also work. Compare the meaning and the situation rather than counting a different word as automatically wrong.

1. Can you turn on the computer for me?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Pode ligar o computador para mim?

2. I’m going to turn off the television before leaving.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Vou desligar a televisão antes de sair.

3. Turn on the kitchen light, please.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Acenda a luz da cozinha, por favor.

4. I lit a candle because the power went out.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Acendi uma vela porque faltou luz.

5. Turn off the light before going to sleep.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Apague a luz antes de dormir.

6. Turn on the fan if you’re hot.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Ligue o ventilador se estiver com calor.

Make the phrase useful to you

Choose one example you could actually use. Say it once from memory, then change one detail that fits your life, such as the person, place, time, or object. Check whether your change also needs a different verb form, article, or adjective ending. If it does, compare it with the pattern in the explanation.

Use ligar/desligar for most devices; use acender/apagar for flames and sources of light. For lights, ligar and acender overlap in everyday Brazilian Portuguese.

Return to two prompts tomorrow without opening the answers first. If a phrase still feels difficult, shorten it to a useful chunk and build the complete sentence again.

Sources and your next lesson

This I Speak Portuguese practice guide builds on our Ligar vs. Acender: Turn On a Light or Device in Portuguese lesson on Real Life Portuguese, with written recall tasks and additional speaking practice. The explanations and examples are teaching material; the practice questions are exercises, not a transcript of a recording.

To add Brazilian audio to your routine, choose a lesson in the Real Life Portuguese app. The app offers its own lessons and practice; this page does not imply that every example here has an app recording.