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Do younger Japanese people really use 電気をつける to mean "turn on the light"? It
sounds like something that your Grandad would say in the times when
electricity was new and exciting. I know it's taught in textbooks but they can
have a tendency to be somewhat anachronistic. Is it the most common phrase,
and if not what should I be saying?
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2016-01-25T17:37:06.507
30709
2016-01-25T19:22:46.673
7944
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word-usage
Turning on the light
Yes, it's the most normal way to say it, among young people too.

> 電気をつける - Turn on the lights  
>  電気を消す - Turn off the lights

If you don't like it then
[明かりをつける（消す）](http://detail.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/qa/question_detail/q12118843782)
is another phrase you could use...
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-01-25T17:44:53.537
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2016-01-25T17:44:53.537
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Ash's answer is correct. Those phrases are used maybe 95% of the time. The
other 5% is business/formal phrasing, using 点灯、消灯
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-01-25T19:22:46.673
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2016-01-25T19:22:46.673
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answer