लाइट (laait)

noun/adjective An English loanword used in everyday Hindi mainly for 'electric light/power' and, less often, for 'light' in the weight/intensity sense; the electricity sense is far more common in daily conversation.
Sense 1 : electricity / electric power supply
noun, feminine
Synonyms: बिजली (bijlii)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: In Delhi-NCR homes, लाइट जाना (laait jaanaa, 'for the power to go') and लाइट आना (laait aanaa, 'for the power to come back') are part of daily small talk, especially in summer when outages are frequent -- you'll hear neighbors calling out अरे लाइट चली गई क्या? (are laait chalii gaii kyaa?, 'hey, did the power go out?') across balconies.
Common Mistakes: 1) लाइट (laait) in this sense usually means the household electricity supply itself, not just a single lamp -- लाइट चली गई (laait chalii gaii, 'the power went out') is about the whole supply, not one bulb. 2) Learners sometimes reach for बिजली (bijlii) only, but in spoken Delhi-NCR Hindi लाइट (laait) is actually the more common everyday word for this.
Sample Sentences:
कल रात लाइट चली गई थी। The power went out last night.
(kal raat laait chalii gaii thii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अरे लाइट चली गई क्या? Hey, did the power go out?
(are laait chalii gaii kyaa?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
गर्मियों में यहाँ रोज़ लाइट जाती है। The power goes out here every day in summer.
(garmiyon men yahaan roz laait jaatii hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
लाइट कब आएगी, पता नहीं। I don't know when the power will come back.
(laait kab aaegii, pataa nahiin।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
अभी लाइट नहीं है, इनवर्टर पर चल रहा है सब कुछ। There's no power right now, everything's running on the inverter.
(abhii laait nahiin hai, invartar par chal rahaa hai sab kuchh।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
बिल न भरने की वजह से हमारी लाइट काट दी गई। Our electricity was cut off because the bill wasn't paid.
(bil n bharne kii vajah se hamaarii laait kaat dii gaii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
अगर लाइट होती तो हम पंखा चला लेते। If there had been power, we would have turned the fan on.
(agar laait hotii to ham pankhaa chalaa lete।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
प्लीज़ लाइट जाने से पहले फोन चार्ज कर लो। Please charge your phone before the power goes out.
(pliiz laait jaane se pahle phon chaarj kar lo।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
उम्मीद है कि आज रात लाइट न जाए। I hope the power doesn't go out tonight.
(ummiid hai ki aaj raat laait n jaae।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
पूरे इलाके की लाइट एक ही साथ चली गई। The power went out for the whole area all at once.
(poore ilaake kii laait ek hii saath chalii gaii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
बिना लाइट के इतनी गर्मी में जीना मुश्किल हो जाता है। Living without electricity in this heat becomes difficult.
(binaa laait ke itnii garmii men jiinaa mushkil ho jaataa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Sense 2 : a light / lamp (the fixture or bulb itself)
noun, feminine
Synonyms: बल्ब (balb, bulb specifically), दीया (diiyaa, traditional oil lamp)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Used for anything from a bedroom bulb to festive string lights -- around Diwali, shops sell रंग-बिरंगी लाइट्स (rang-birangii laaits, 'colorful lights') for decorating homes, blending seamlessly with more traditional दीये (diiye).
Common Mistakes: 1) लाइट जलाना (laait jalaanaa) and लाइट बंद करना (laait band karnaa) are the standard verbs for 'turn on/off the light' -- learners sometimes try खोलना (kholnaa) by analogy with 'open,' which sounds wrong here.
Sample Sentences:
कमरे की लाइट खराब हो गई है। The room's light has gone bad.
(kamre kii laait kharaab ho gaii hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
प्लीज़ वो लाइट जला दो, यहाँ बहुत अंधेरा है। Please turn on that light, it's really dark here.
(pliiz vo laait jalaa do, yahaan bahut andheraa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
दीवाली पर हम घर की छत पर रंग-बिरंगी लाइट्स लगाते हैं। On Diwali we put up colorful lights on the roof of the house.
(diivaalii par ham ghar kii chhat par rang-birangii laaits lagaate hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
बाज़ार में हर दुकान के आगे लाइटें लगी हुई थीं। Lights were put up in front of every shop in the market.
(baazaar men har dukaan ke aage laaiten lagii huii thiin।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
अगर यह लाइट टूट जाए, तो नई लगवानी पड़ेगी। If this light breaks, we'll have to get a new one installed.
(agar yah laait toot jaae, to naii lagvaanii padegii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
इलेक्ट्रीशियन ने बेडरूम में नई लाइट फिट कर दी है। The electrician has fitted a new light in the bedroom.
(ilektriishiyan ne bedroom men naii laait phit kar dii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर घर में इतनी लाइटें होतीं, तो बिजली का बिल दोगुना आता। If there were this many lights in the house, the electricity bill would come double.
(agar ghar men itnii laaiten hotiin, to bijlii kaa bil dogunaa aataa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
सीढ़ियों के पास वाली लाइट कब से जल रही है। The light near the stairs has been on for a while.
(siidhiyon ke paas vaalii laait kab se jal rahii hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
कृपया कमरे से बाहर निकलते समय लाइट बंद कर दें। Please turn off the light when leaving the room.
(kripyaa kamre se baahar nikalte samay laait band kar den।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
छत की उस पुरानी लाइट को बदलना ज़रूरी है। It's necessary to change that old ceiling light.
(chhat kii us puraanii laait ko badalnaa zaroorii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
मंदिर के बाहर इतनी सुंदर लाइटें लगाई गई थीं कि सब देखते रह गए। Such beautiful lights had been put up outside the temple that everyone stood staring.
(mandir ke baahar itnii sundar laaiten lagaaii gaii thiin ki sab dekhte rah gae।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
Sense 3 : light (in weight or intensity, not heavy/strong)
adjective This borrowed sense competes with the native हल्का (halkaa), which remains far more common; लाइट (laait) here is mostly heard in casual, Hinglish-leaning speech about food, colors, or workload.
Synonyms: हल्का (halkaa)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You might hear a friend say यह खाना लाइट है (yah khaanaa laait hai, 'this food is light') after a heavy festival meal, or लाइट कलर (laait kalar, 'light color') while picking out clothes -- casual, urban, Hinglish-flavored usage typical of younger speakers in Delhi-NCR.
Common Mistakes: 1) Native speakers default to हल्का (halkaa) for 'light' in weight, food, or color; लाइट (laait) as an adjective is a casual, English-influenced alternative and overusing it can sound unnatural in formal contexts.
Sample Sentences:
यह खाना बहुत लाइट है, रात में यही खा लो। This food is very light, just eat this at night.
(yah khaanaa bahut laait hai, raat men yahii khaa lo।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
मुझे लाइट कलर की शर्ट पसंद है। I like light-colored shirts.
(mujhe laait kalar kii shart pasand hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
आज का सूप कल वाले से ज़्यादा लाइट था। Today's soup was lighter than yesterday's.
(aaj kaa soop kal vaale se zyaadaa laait thaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगर सामान थोड़ा लाइट होता तो उठाना आसान होता। If the luggage were a bit lighter, it would be easier to lift.
(agar saamaan thodaa laait hotaa to uthaanaa aasaan hotaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
डॉक्टर ने कहा कि खाना हल्का और लाइट रखो, तेल कम डालो। The doctor said to keep the food light and use less oil.
(doktar ne kahaa ki khaanaa halkaa aur laait rakho, tel kam daalo।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
पार्टी के बाद मुझे कुछ लाइट खाना चाहिए, बहुत भारी हो गया था कल का खाना। After the party I should eat something light, yesterday's food was too heavy.
(paartii ke baad mujhe kuchh laait khaanaa chaahie, bahut bhaarii ho gayaa thaa kal kaa khaanaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
यह जैकेट सर्दियों के लिए ठीक है, बहुत लाइट है। This jacket is fine for winter, it's very light.
(yah jaiket sardiyon ke lie thiik hai, bahut laait hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
मेकअप लाइट रखना, ऑफिस पार्टी है कोई शादी नहीं। Keep the makeup light, it's an office party, not a wedding.
(mekaap laait rakhnaa, ophis paartii hai koii shaadii nahiin।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
इस बार का डिनर पिछली बार से लाइट रखा गया था। This time's dinner was kept lighter than last time.
(is baar kaa dinar pichhlii baar se laait rakhaa gayaa thaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct): लाइट (laait)
(sg.f.oblique): लाइट (laait)
(pl.f.direct): लाइटें (laaiten)
(pl.f.oblique): लाइटों (laaiton)
Adjective (invariant)
invariant: लाइट (laait)