When the light bulb is not working (2025)

J

JohnDR

Senior Member

Mandarin

  • Nov 15, 2009
  • #1

When the light bulb is not working, what do you say to describe this situation? Can you say "The light bulb is dead"?

What else can you say?

Thank you!

  • Aidanriley

    Senior Member

    SD, California

    English

    • Nov 15, 2009
    • #2

    Out. (maybe AmE)
    The light bulb is out.

    BellaDancer

    Senior Member

    San Francisco, California USA

    English -- USA

    • Nov 15, 2009
    • #3

    When light bulbs are not working around my house I tell my husband, "The hallway light is out."

    That means that the bulb is not working. If it were just that it was not lit, I would say, "the light is off."

    Loob

    Senior Member

    English UK

    • Nov 15, 2009
    • #4

    Or "gone" (BrE - I expect there are alternatives, but this is mineWhen the light bulb is not working (4))

    M

    mplsray

    Senior Member

    Minneapolis, Minnesota USA

    English, USA

    • Nov 15, 2009
    • #5

    JohnDR said:

    When the light bulb is not working, what do you say to describe this situation? Can you say "The light bulb is dead"?

    What else can you say?

    Thank you!

    I would most often say The (light) bulb's burned out.

    Aidanriley

    Senior Member

    SD, California

    English

    • Nov 15, 2009
    • #6

    Loob said:

    Or "gone" (BrE - I expect there are alternatives, but this is mineWhen the light bulb is not working (6))

    Really? The light bulb is gone? Hehehe I like that.

    BellaDancer

    Senior Member

    San Francisco, California USA

    English -- USA

    • Nov 15, 2009
    • #7

    "Burned out" is good -- common and unambiguous.

    "The bulb's burned out." Absolutely.

    SwissPete

    Senior Member

    94044 USA

    Français (CH), AE (California)

    • Nov 15, 2009
    • #8

    BellaDancer said:

    When light bulbs are not working around my house I tell my husband, "The hallway light is out."

    You don't say: "You need to change the light bulb in the hallway"? When the light bulb is not working (9)

    BellaDancer

    Senior Member

    San Francisco, California USA

    English -- USA

    • Nov 15, 2009
    • #9

    SwissPete said:

    You don't say: "You need to change the light bulb in the hallway"? When the light bulb is not working (11)

    Ah, no. This is the secret to the successful marriage. Make an observation, not a demand! When the light bulb is not working (12)

    Aidanriley

    Senior Member

    SD, California

    English

    • Nov 15, 2009
    • #10

    BellaDancer said:

    Ah, no. This is the secret to the successful marriage. Make an observation, not a demand! When the light bulb is not working (14)

    Yeah, the husband should automatically understand that he needs to change it. If he simply says, "That it is", an argument would follow. When the light bulb is not working (15)

    R

    Rover_KE

    Senior Member

    Northwest England - near Blackburn, Lancashire

    British English

    • Nov 15, 2009
    • #11

    I'm with Loob.

    'The bulb's gone' is what we've always said in our house, too.

    Rover

    panjandrum

    Senior Member

    Belfast, Ireland

    English-Ireland (top end)

    • Nov 15, 2009
    • #12

    Rover_KE said:

    I'm with Loob.

    'The bulb's gone' is what we've always said in our house, too.

    Rover

    Us too. Or possibly, "The light <name of location> 's /not working/ /doesn't work/."

    cuchuflete

    Senior Member

    Maine, EEUU

    EEUU-inglés

    • Nov 15, 2009
    • #13

    Him: The light (or bulb, or rarely, lightbulb) is out/burned/out/dead/shot in the aviary and the turkey hawks are complaining of great difficulties in reading

    American Conservative.

    Her: Tell them not to worry. I've seen that issue, and it's just the usual nutty rantings of Buchanan and friends. Him: Oh, I get it. When I'm out telling them to get something better to read, you expect I'll change the bulb as well?Her: Yes, Darling. Most perceptive.

    J

    jubilant930

    New Member

    Mandarin

    • Feb 10, 2013
    • #14

    When a light doesn't work because a bulb needed to be changed, what do we say in American English? "The bulb blew up"?
    Thank you!

    << Moderator's note: This thread has been merged with an earlier thread. Please read from the top. >>

    Last edited by a moderator:

    gramman

    Senior Member

    North Kingstown, Rhode Island

    American English

    • Feb 10, 2013
    • #15

    Burned out is often used. (Burnt out in BrE, I think.)

    morior_invictus

    Senior Member

    Slovak

    • Feb 10, 2013
    • #16

    Hi jubilant,
    although I`m not American, I would say "the (light) bulb popped

    out

    / exploded / burned out."

    Last edited:

    B

    boozer

    Senior Member

    Bulgaria

    Bulgarian

    • Feb 10, 2013
    • #17

    ...or 'the bulb is fused'

    PS. Ah, sorry, I don't know if this would be good in AE...

    Cenzontle

    Senior Member

    English, U.S.

    • Feb 10, 2013
    • #18

    I've only heard "the bulb is burned out" (the glass is intact, but it doesn't conduct electricity anymore).
    "Exploded", to me, suggests broken glass flying in every direction.
    "Popped out" sounds as if the bulb came out of the socket, and you just have to put it back in, securely, and there's light.

    Chasint

    Senior Member

    English - England

    • Feb 10, 2013
    • #19

    BE: I normally say "The bulb is dead"

    Maybe that's just me.

    E

    Embonpoint

    Senior Member

    Boston

    English--American

    • Feb 10, 2013
    • #20

    Biffo said:

    BE: I normally say "The bulb is dead"

    Maybe that's just me.

    Yes. I am very likely to say "the bulb died" or the "bulb is dead." It burned out is also very common. These are the two ways I've heard most in AE. I've also heard the bulb blew out but that's not the standard expression.

    << Threads merged. Thank you. >>

    Last edited by a moderator:

    Miss Julie

    Senior Member

    Chicago metro area

    English-U.S.

    • Feb 10, 2013
    • #21

    Embonpoint said:

    It burned out is also very common. These are the two ways I've heard most in AE. I've also heard the bulb blew out but that's not the standard expression.

    I go with burned out as well. I also might say blew out if it happened spectacularly (i.e., with a pop/flash).

    Chasint

    Senior Member

    English - England

    • Feb 11, 2013
    • #22

    I just thought of another very common version (at least in BE)

    "The bulb has gone."

    Example

    Could you look at my nearside headlight? I think the bulb has gone.

    T

    theartichoke

    Senior Member

    English - Canada

    • Feb 11, 2013
    • #23

    I'd say "the bulb blew" with no preposition. "Blew up" to me means it exploded; "blew out" I would only use for a candle.

    Not sure if this is standard Canadian usage, but I suspect it is.

    Last edited:

    C

    Clause

    Member

    London

    British English

    • Feb 11, 2013
    • #24

    I speak British English. I would say 'the bulb blew'. If the bulb exploded and the glass shattered flying across the room, I would say 'The bulb blew up'.

    G

    Guycon

    New Member

    UK English

    • Oct 5, 2013
    • #25

    Clause said:

    I speak British English. I would say 'the bulb blew'. If the bulb exploded and the glass shattered flying across the room, I would say 'The bulb blew up'.

    I typically use the past participle. That is to say, "the bulb has blown" or "the light has blown". I would also usually include a location, such as "the kitchen light has blown". The same goes for pretty much anything electronic, such as "the fuse has blown" or "the kettle has blown".

    The "bulb has gone", to me, indicates a possibility of theft or misplacement. For example, "the outside bulb has gone again". "Burnt out" is something I've never heard anyone in the UK say.

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