blue light
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blue emergency light
The flashing blue warning light on emergency vehicles such as police cars, fire engines, or ambulances.
Als der Fahrer das Blaulicht im Rückspiegel sah, bildete er sofort eine Rettungsgasse.
When the driver saw the blue emergency light in the rearview mirror, he immediately formed an emergency lane.
The word is a simple and logical compound made up of the adjective 'blau' (blue) and the noun 'das Licht' (light). So it literally describes a light that is blue.
Das blaue Licht des Polizeiautos spiegelte sich in den Fenstern.
The blue light of the police car was reflected in the windows.
'Blaulicht' (blue emergency light) is often used in the fixed phrase 'mit Blaulicht fahren' (to drive with blue lights on). Common verbs are also 'einschalten' (to switch on) and 'sehen' (to see).
Der Krankenwagen fuhr mit Blaulicht und Sirene durch die Stadt.
The ambulance drove through the city with its blue lights and siren on.
In colloquial speech, 'das Blaulicht' (the emergency vehicle) can also refer to the entire emergency vehicle, such as a police car or ambulance. In this meaning, it is often used as a collective term in the singular, even when several vehicles are meant.
Nach dem Anruf kam sofort das Blaulicht.
After the call, the emergency vehicle arrived immediately.
siren
'das Blaulicht' and 'die Sirene' are both part of the warning signals used by police, fire departments, or ambulances. They often appear together, so they are easy to confuse. 'Blaulicht' is the blue flashing light on an emergency vehicle; colloquially, it can also mean the emergency vehicle itself. 'Sirene', on the other hand, is the loud, wailing sound or the device that makes it. Remember: you see 'Blaulicht', and you hear a 'Sirene'.
Als wir das Blaulicht sahen, machten wir dem Krankenwagen Platz.
When we saw the blue emergency light, we made room for the ambulance.
In der Nacht weckte uns die Sirene der Feuerwehr.
During the night, the fire department's siren woke us up.