Signification
To clarify or explain something.
Contexte culturel
In 19th-century literature, 'light' was often a spiritual metaphor. To 'shed light' could mean to bring someone to a moral awakening. Investigative journalism in Russia often uses this phrase in titles of TV shows or articles to promise 'the truth' to the audience. Russian academic style is quite formal and metaphorical. 'Пролить свет' is a standard way to state the contribution of a thesis or paper. Russians enjoy discussing 'the meaning of things'. Using this phrase in a deep conversation shows you are looking for more than just surface-level facts.
Use it in Job Interviews
When asked about a mistake you made, use 'пролить свет' to explain how you analyzed the situation and learned from it. It sounds professional and analytical.
Watch the Preposition
Never say 'пролить свет о...'. It is always 'на' + Accusative. This is the most common error for English speakers.
Signification
To clarify or explain something.
Use it in Job Interviews
When asked about a mistake you made, use 'пролить свет' to explain how you analyzed the situation and learned from it. It sounds professional and analytical.
Watch the Preposition
Never say 'пролить свет о...'. It is always 'на' + Accusative. This is the most common error for English speakers.
Journalistic Flair
If you want to sound like a Russian news anchor, start your sentence with 'Наше расследование призвано пролить свет на...'
Teste-toi
Fill in the missing preposition and put the word 'тайна' (mystery) in the correct case.
Новые документы пролили свет ___ (тайна) исчезновения самолета.
The idiom requires 'на' + Accusative case. 'Тайну' is the Accusative form of 'тайна'.
Which sentence uses the idiom correctly in a professional context?
Выберите правильный вариант:
Option B correctly uses the figurative meaning with the right grammar. Option A is literal (and weird), C uses the wrong preposition, and D is literal.
Complete the dialogue with the correct form of the phrase.
— Я до сих пор не понимаю, почему он уволился. — Его вчерашнее интервью должно ______ на эту ситуацию.
After 'должно' (must/should), we need the infinitive form. Since it's a specific clarification, the perfective 'пролить' is best.
Match the sentence to the most likely situation.
1. 'Это исследование пролило свет на причины болезни.' 2. 'Твои слова пролили свет на наше недопонимание.' 3. 'Следствие пролило свет на мотивы преступника.'
1 refers to causes of disease (Science), 2 refers to misunderstanding (Personal), 3 refers to motives (Police).
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Banque d exercices
4 exercicesНовые документы пролили свет ___ (тайна) исчезновения самолета.
The idiom requires 'на' + Accusative case. 'Тайну' is the Accusative form of 'тайна'.
Выберите правильный вариант:
Option B correctly uses the figurative meaning with the right grammar. Option A is literal (and weird), C uses the wrong preposition, and D is literal.
— Я до сих пор не понимаю, почему он уволился. — Его вчерашнее интервью должно ______ на эту ситуацию.
After 'должно' (must/should), we need the infinitive form. Since it's a specific clarification, the perfective 'пролить' is best.
1. 'Это исследование пролило свет на причины болезни.' 2. 'Твои слова пролили свет на наше недопонимание.' 3. 'Следствие пролило свет на мотивы преступника.'
1 refers to causes of disease (Science), 2 refers to misunderstanding (Personal), 3 refers to motives (Police).
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsYes, but it sounds poetic. For example, 'Солнце пролило свет на долину.' In everyday life, we usually say 'зажечь свет' (turn on light) or 'осветить' (illuminate).
Yes, that is the imperfective form. Use it for ongoing actions: 'Мы сейчас проливаем свет на этот вопрос.'
It's a bit serious, but not 'too' formal. It's great if you're talking about a serious topic or a mystery.
The closest opposite is 'запутать' (to confuse) or the idiom 'навести тень на плетень' (to obscure).
Yes, it means to reveal the truth about that person's character or actions.
It's a metaphor. Light is imagined as a liquid that covers and reveals things.
Extremely common. You will see it in almost every investigative report.
Yes, 'пролил свет' is very common to describe a discovery that already happened.
Not necessarily. It could just be a complex situation that no one understood yet.
Yes, if you use it for something very trivial, like 'shedding light' on why the cat is grumpy.
Expressions liées
внести ясность
synonymTo bring clarity
прояснить
similarTo clarify
вывести на чистую воду
specialized formTo expose someone
навести тень на плетень
contrastTo intentionally confuse or obscure things
