Breakdown of El contador de la luz está apagado.
de
of
estar
to be (location/state)
apagar
to turn off / to put out (a fire)
la luz
the light / the power (electricity supply)
el contador
the meter
Questions & Answers about El contador de la luz está apagado.
Why is the word for light, luz, used to mean electricity here?
In everyday Spanish in Spain, luz is commonly used to refer to the electrical power supply in a house, not just the physical light. For example, if the power goes out, you would say se fue la luz, and the electricity bill is often called el recibo de la luz.
Is contador the standard word for a utility meter?
Why does this sentence use está instead of es with apagado?
We use está because apagado is describing the current state or condition of the meter (it is currently off). If you used es apagado, it would form a passive voice sentence meaning the meter 'is being turned off' by someone, which focuses on the action rather than the result.
If está apagado describes the state of being off, how would I say the meter turned off on its own?
To say something turned off or went off by itself, you use the reflexive verb apagarse. So, if you wanted to say 'the meter turned off', it would be el contador se apagó.
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