灯火・燈火|とうかtouka[1]atamadaka (head-high)

1. nounlight; lamplight
   遠とおくに灯火とうかが見みえた。↗

   I saw a light in the distance.

• Synonym明かりあかりNeutralThe everyday word for a light or lamplight, as in 「部屋の明かり」. Far more common than 「灯火」, which sounds written and poetic.
• Synonym灯ひNeutralAnother way of writing 明かり, read 「あかり」; it means a light or lamplight. 「灯火」 is the more written, literary word.
• SynonymランプNeutralA loanword for lamps — oil lamps, electric lamps, or indicator lights like 「警告ランプ」. It points to the device; 「灯火」 to the light itself.
• SynonymライトNeutralA loanword for lighting, as in 「ヘッドライト」. It suggests modern lamps and fixtures, while 「灯火」 is old-fashioned and literary.
• Synonym照明しょうめいNeutralLighting equipment or lighting effects; at home in both speech and writing, as in 「舞台照明」. 「灯火」 is the poetic word for the light itself.
• Synonym灯火ともしびNeutralThe same word, but this sense is the light itself rather than the lamp — 「月明かり」 is moonlight. 「灯火」 remains the more literary choice.
• Related電灯でんとうNeutralElectric light, leaning toward the electrical fixture, as in 「電灯をつける」. 「灯火」 is the literary word for the light a lamp gives off.
• Related洋灯ようとうWrittenA written word for a Western-style oil lamp, largely a Meiji-era term that is rarely used now. 「灯火」 is the broader, poetic word for lamplight.
• Related燭しょくWrittenThe same word read 「ともしび」; this reading carries an even stronger literary feel, as in 「希望の灯火」. Both are written-style words.
• Antonym暗闇くらやみNeutralDarkness — the direct opposite of the light that 「灯火」 denotes.

Everyday light is 「明かり」; for lighting equipment say 「照明」 or 「ライト」. 「灯火」 (とうか) is the written, poetic word for lamplight, as in 「灯火管制」 and 「灯火親しむべき候」. Darkness is 「暗闇」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. ともしび。