das Tageslicht
daylight
The natural light that comes from the sun during the day.
EXAMPLE
Für gute Fotos ist natürliches Tageslicht oft am besten.
For good photos, natural daylight is often best.
das Tageslicht
daylight
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Meanings
ans Tageslicht kommen
to come to light
A fixed expression meaning that something secret, hidden, or unknown is uncovered and becomes publicly known.
EXAMPLE
Durch die Recherchen des Journalisten kam die ganze Wahrheit ans Tageslicht.
Through the journalist's research, the whole truth came to light.
Usage tips
Compound word
'Tageslicht' (daylight) is a compound noun made from 'der Tag' (day, in the genitive form 'Tages') and 'das Licht' (light). It literally means 'the light of the day.'
EXAMPLE
Die Pflanzen brauchen viel Tageslicht, um zu wachsen.
The plants need a lot of daylight to grow.
Use with preposition
In its literal meaning, 'Tageslicht' (daylight) is often used with the preposition 'bei' to express that something happens or is viewed during the bright part of the day.
EXAMPLE
Bei Tageslicht sah das Haus gar nicht mehr so unheimlich aus.
In daylight, the house no longer looked so creepy.
Fixed expression
The expression 'ans Tageslicht kommen' (to come to light) is a fixed idiom. It means that information that was secret or unknown becomes public. The subject is the information that becomes known.
EXAMPLE
Es wird nur eine Frage der Zeit sein, bis die Wahrheit ans Tageslicht kommt.
It will only be a matter of time before the truth comes to light.
Active variant
In addition to 'ans Tageslicht kommen' (to come to light; something becomes known by itself), there is the active variant 'etwas ans Tageslicht bringen' (to bring something to light). This means that a person actively causes a secret to be uncovered.
EXAMPLE
Der Detektiv hat neue Beweise ans Tageslicht gebracht.
The detective brought new evidence to light.
Compare with
Tageslicht vs Sonnenlicht
sunlight
Tageslicht refers to the natural brightness during the day and can also be diffuse or indirect. Sonnenlicht emphasizes that the light comes directly from the sun. For illuminated rooms, Tageslicht is therefore often the appropriate term, while Sonnenlicht is used for direct rays of sunlight.
Tageslicht
Durch das Nordfenster fällt weiches Tageslicht in das Zimmer, obwohl die Sonne nicht direkt hineinscheint.
Soft daylight enters the room through the north-facing window, even though the sun is not shining directly into it.
Sonnenlicht
Durch das Südfenster fällt direktes Sonnenlicht in das Zimmer und bildet helle Streifen auf dem Boden.
Direct sunlight enters the room through the south-facing window and creates bright strips on the floor.
In real life
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