La luz del fondo de la sala está encendida.

The light at the back of the room is on.

Breakdown of La luz del fondo de la sala está encendida.

• estar: to be
• de: of
• del: of the
• la sala: the room

Questions & Answers about La luz del fondo de la sala está encendida.

What does del mean in la luz del fondo?

Del is the contraction of de + el (of + the) before a masculine singular noun.

• de + el fondo → del fondo
• Literally: "the light of the back (part)"
  So la luz del fondo = “the light at the back” or “the light in the back (area)”.

Why is it del fondo de la sala and not al fondo de la sala?

Both are possible, but they mean slightly different things:

• del fondo de la sala: literally “of the back of the room”, focusing on which light it is (the one that belongs to / is located in the back area).

  • la luz del fondo de la sala = the light (that is) at the back of the room.

• al fondo de la sala: means “at the back of the room” and usually describes where something is, not which one.

  • La luz está al fondo de la sala = The light is at the back of the room.

In your sentence, del is used because it’s identifying which light (the one from the back), not just giving a location.

Why does it say está encendida and not es encendida?