Definition

1. Verb phrase:
   • To light up, to turn on the lights: Refers to the action of illuminating or switching on lights, especially at a specific time of day.
   • To signal with a red light: In specific contexts, it can refer to the activation of a red signal light.

Usage Examples

• Verb phrase:
  • Đã đến lúc đỏ đèn. (It is time to light up.)
  • Ăn cơm chiều vào lúc đỏ đèn. (To have dinner at lighting-up time.)
  • Mỗi tối, ông ấy đỏ đèn ở hiên nhà lúc 6 giờ. (Every evening, he lights up the porch at 6 o'clock.)

Advanced Usage

• Used to indicate a fixed time or routine: The phrase often denotes a specific, regular time in the evening when lights are typically turned on, marking the transition from day to night.
  • Giờ đỏ đèn trong khu phố là 7 giờ tối. (The lighting-up time in the neighborhood is 7 PM.)

Variants and Related Words

• Bật đèn (verb phrase): To turn on the light(s). A more general and common synonym.
• Thắp đèn (verb phrase): To light a lamp (often implies older types of lamps like oil lamps).
• Lên đèn (verb phrase): A more literary or old-fashioned term meaning to light the lamps, indicating evening time.

Synonyms

• Light up: To illuminate.
• Turn on the lights: To switch lights on.

Notes on Meaning

• Temporal Meaning: The primary meaning is tied to the time of day (dusk/evening) when artificial lighting becomes necessary. It's less about the simple action and more about the scheduled or customary time for that action.
• Contextual Meaning: While the literal translation involves "red" (đỏ), the phrase does not typically mean "to make red" or "to show a red light" in everyday modern usage. That meaning is reserved for specific technical or signaling contexts (e.g., traffic lights, alarms). The common usage relates to illumination at nightfall.

1. Light up
   • Đã đến lúc đỏ đèn
     It is time to light up
   • Ăn cơm chiều vào lúc đỏ đèn
     To have dinner at lighting-up time