To Be Lit
To Be Lighted
intransitive verb, godan verb
This word consists of kanji with hiragana attached. Because the hiragana ends with an う sound, you know this word is a verb. The kanji itself means lamp, so the verb vocab version is to be lit.
灯る describes a light appearing and beginning to glow, like ろうそくに火が灯る (a candle is lit) or 灯りが灯る (a light comes on). Compared to more matter-of-fact words like つく (turn on), 灯る feels softer and a bit more descriptive, almost like the light is quietly coming to life rather than simply switching on.
This word's reading is a little tricky, because it looks like it would have the same reading as 灯り, but… it doesn't. Here's a mnemonic to help you remember this new reading:
You need all the candles in your house to be lit so you can have some 友達 (とも) over and tell spooky stories by candlelight. Once all the candles are lit, you and your 友達 will sit in a circle and take turns telling ghostly tales till the sun comes up. It's going to be… lit.
明かりが灯る
light comes on
灯りが灯る
a light gets lit, a light comes on
火が灯る
a flame is lit
光が灯る
a light begins to glow
あの部屋に明かりが灯るのを見たんだ。
I saw a light come on in that room.
夕暮れとともに、町に灯りが灯っていく。
As evening falls, lights begin to come on across the town.
絶望の中に、かすかな希望の光が灯った。
In the midst of despair, a faint light of hope flickered to life.
ろうそくの火が灯ると、やわらかなオレンジ色の光がぼんやりと広がった。
When the candle was lit, a soft orange glow gently spread.