Definition
The natural or artificial brightness that allows you to see things. Also used figuratively to mean clarity or hope.
Example
La luz del sol entra por la ventana cada mañana.
Show translation
The sunlight comes through the window every morning.
Etymology
From Latin *lux, lucis* ("light"), related to *lucere* ("to shine"). The same root gives English "lucid," "lunar," and "illuminate."
Cultural note
In Spanish, *luz* carries rich figurative weight: *dar a luz* literally means "to give to light" and is the standard expression for giving birth. In many Latin American countries, *la luz* is also everyday slang for electricity — "se fue la luz" ("the light left") means the power went out, a phrase almost every Spanish speaker knows by heart. In Spain, the Iberian Spanish pronunciation ends in /θ/ (like English "th"), while in Latin America it's /s/.