Meaning
to light
- to enlighten
- to dawn on
In a sentence
Puoi illuminare la stanza con questa lampada?
Can you light the room with this lamp?
Il suo esempio mi ha illuminato molto.
His example really enlightened me.
Un sorriso improvviso le ha illuminato il viso.
A sudden smile lit up her face.
Word forms (48)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| illuminare | infinitive |
| illuminiamo | indicative · present · plural · 1st person |
| illumino | indicative · present · singular · 1st person |
| illuminate | indicative · present · plural · 2nd person |
| illumini | indicative · present · singular · 2nd person |
| illuminano | indicative · present · plural · 3rd person |
| illumina | indicative · present · singular · 3rd person |
| illuminavamo | indicative · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| illuminavo | indicative · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| illuminavate | indicative · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| illuminavi | indicative · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| illuminavano | indicative · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| illuminava | indicative · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| illuminammo | indicative · past · plural · 1st person |
| illuminai | indicative · past · singular · 1st person |
| illuminaste | indicative · past · plural · 2nd person |
| illuminasti | indicative · past · singular · 2nd person |
| illuminarono | indicative · past · plural · 3rd person |
| illuminò | indicative · past · singular · 3rd person |
| illumineremo | indicative · future · plural · 1st person |
| illuminerò | indicative · future · singular · 1st person |
| illuminerete | indicative · future · plural · 2nd person |
| illuminerai | indicative · future · singular · 2nd person |
| illumineranno | indicative · future · plural · 3rd person |
| illuminerà | indicative · future · singular · 3rd person |
| illuminiamo | subjunctive · present · plural · 1st person |
| illumini | subjunctive · present · singular · 1st person |
| illuminiate | subjunctive · present · plural · 2nd person |
| illumini | subjunctive · present · singular · 2nd person |
| illuminino | subjunctive · present · plural · 3rd person |
| illumini | subjunctive · present · singular · 3rd person |
| illuminassimo | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| illuminassi | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| illuminaste | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| illuminassi | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| illuminassero | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| illuminasse | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| illumineremmo | conditional · present · plural · 1st person |
| illuminerei | conditional · present · singular · 1st person |
| illuminereste | conditional · present · plural · 2nd person |
| illumineresti | conditional · present · singular · 2nd person |
| illuminerebbero | conditional · present · plural · 3rd person |
| illuminerebbe | conditional · present · singular · 3rd person |
| illuminiamo | imperative · plural · 1st person |
| illuminate | imperative · plural · 2nd person |
| illumina | imperative · singular · 2nd person |
| illuminando | gerund |
| illuminato | past · participle |
Usage notes
- For switching on a lamp, Italians often prefer accendere; illuminare stresses spreading light over a space or object.
- Use essere in compound tenses: la stanza si è illuminata. Transitive forms take avere: ho illuminato la strada.
- Figurative use is common in formal or literary contexts: illuminare un problema, un dibattito, una mente.