Translation guide
How to express turning off a device, light, or engine in Japanese, with attention to transitive/intransitive pairs and natural phrasing.
You want to say that someone turns off a device, light, or appliance.
The most common verb for turning off lights, TVs, and other electronic devices. Transitive.
Please turn off the light.
テレビを消した。
I turned off the TV.
Used for turning off devices by cutting power, often with a switch. Common for engines and some appliances. Transitive.
エアコンを切ってください。
Please turn off the air conditioner.
エンジンを切る。
Turn off the engine.
Loanword expression meaning 'to turn off'. Common for electronic devices and settings.
スマホをオフにしてください。
Please turn off your smartphone.
You want to say that a device or light turns off by itself or automatically.
Intransitive counterpart of 消す. Used when a light or device goes off on its own.
突然、電気が消えた。
Suddenly, the light went off.
テレビが勝手に消えた。
The TV turned off by itself.
Intransitive counterpart of 切る. Used when power is cut or a device stops, often due to a timer or malfunction.
Specifically for stopping a car, motorcycle, or machine engine.
Standard phrase for turning off an engine.
車のエンジンを切ってください。
Please turn off the car engine.
Literally 'stop the engine'. Slightly more mechanical nuance.
エンジンを止めて、少し休もう。
Let's turn off the engine and rest a bit.
Informal, figurative use meaning to stop concentrating or disengage.
Metaphorical use, similar to English 'switch off' for mental disengagement. Often used in work contexts.
仕事が終わったら、頭のスイッチを切る。
After work, I switch off my brain.
Casual way to say you mentally check out.
会議中、完全にオフになってた。
I completely switched off during the meeting.
消す is the default for lights, TVs, and most electronics. 切る is used for cutting power or stopping engines. For many devices, both are possible, but 消す is more common in daily life.
電気を消す / 電気を切る
Turn off the light (both possible, 消す is more natural)
The direct loanword 'スイッチオフ' is not commonly used as a verb. Use 消す or 切る instead.
The air conditioner turned off automatically.