Ligar vs. Acender: Turn On a Light or Device in Portuguese
Both ligar a luz and acender a luz are common. Acender highlights producing light; ligar is widely used for switching on devices.
Real Life Portuguese · 5 min read · Updated October 14, 2026
The short answer
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.
Use ligar for switching on many devices
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.
Pode ligar o computador para mim?
Can you turn on the computer for me?
Vou desligar a televisão antes de sair.
I’m going to turn off the television before leaving.
Acenda a luz da cozinha, por favor.
Turn on the kitchen light, please.
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.
Acendi uma vela porque faltou luz.
I lit a candle because the power went out.
Apague a luz antes de dormir.
Turn off the light before going to sleep.
Ligue o ventilador se estiver com calor.
Turn on the fan if you’re hot.
Put it into practice
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.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “Turn on the fan if you’re hot”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
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