Phrase guide

let there be light

phrase · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American: /lɛt ðɛɹ bi ləɪːt/
  • General-American: [lɛʔ ðɛɚɹ bi ləɪʔ]
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

phrase

Meaning 1

Used as a metaphor for the spread of wisdom.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Subjunctive use from Genesis 1:3 in the King James Bible: "And God said, Let there be light: and there was light."

Across languages

Translations

45 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: laat daar lig wees — Translations
  • Albanian: u bëftë drita — Translations
  • Arabic: لِيَكُنْ نُورٌ (liyakun nūrun) — Translations
  • Old Armenian: եղիցի՛ լոյս (ełicʻí loys) — Translations
  • Belarusian: хай бу́дзе святло́ (xaj búdzje svjatló) — Translations
  • Bulgarian: да бъде́ светлина́ (da bǎdé svetliná) — Translations
  • Chinese Mandarin: 要有光 (yào yǒu guāng) — Translations
  • Czech: budiž světlo — Translations
  • Danish: der blive Lys — Translations
  • Dutch: daar zij licht — Translations
  • Esperanto: estu lumo — Translations
  • Finnish: tulkoon valkeus — Translations
  • French: que la lumière soit — Translations
  • Galician: que exista a luz — Translations
  • Georgian: იყოს ნათელი (iq̇os nateli) — Translations
  • Georgian: დაე იყოს ნათელი (dae iq̇os nateli) — Translations
  • German: es werde Licht — Translations
  • Bavarian German: ayn Liecht sollt werdn — Translations
  • Ancient Greek: γενηθήτω φῶς (genēthḗtō phôs) — Translations
  • Hebrew: יְהִי אוֹר (yehí or) — Translations
  • Hungarian: legyen világosság — Translations
  • Indonesian: jadilah terang — Translations
  • Italian: sia la luce — Translations
  • Japanese: 光あれ (hikariare) — Translations
  • Korean: 빛이 있으라 (bichi isseura) — Translations
  • Latin: fiat lux — Translations
  • Lithuanian: teatsiranda šviesa — Translations
  • Norwegian: det bli lys — Translations
  • Church Slavic: да будетъ свѣтъ (da budetŭ světŭ) — Translations
  • Old English: ġeweorþe lēoht — Translations
  • Polish: niech stanie się światłość — Translations
  • Portuguese: haja luz — Translations
  • Romanian: să fie lumină — Translations
  • Russian: да бу́дет свет (da búdet svet) — Translations
  • Serbo-Croatian: нека буде светлост — Translations
  • Serbo-Croatian: нека буде свјетлост — Translations
  • Serbo-Croatian: neka bude svetlost — Translations
  • Serbo-Croatian: neka bude svjetlost — Translations
  • Spanish: sea la luz — Translations
  • Spanish: hágase la luz — Translations
  • Swedish: varde ljus — Translations
  • Turkish: ışık olsun — Translations
  • Ukrainian: хай бу́де світло́ (xaj búde svitló) — Translations
  • Vietnamese: phải có sự sáng — Translations
  • Yucatec Maya: yanchajak sáasil — Translations