Spanish Phrase
La casa está a oscuras.
Meaning
This phrase describes a state where all the lights in a house are turned off or there is a complete lack of illumination. It uses the fixed adverbial phrase 'a oscuras' to indicate the condition of the environment.
When to use
Use this phrase when you arrive at a home and notice no lights are on, or during a power outage to describe the situation. It is common in both literal and slightly more atmospheric contexts.
✦Grammar Breakdown
La casaestáa oscuras
Estar (State)
We use 'está' because the darkness is a condition of the location at a specific moment.
A oscuras
This is a fixed prepositional phrase. Even though 'oscuras' is plural, it functions as an adverbial unit meaning 'in the dark'.
🗨In Conversation
¿Por qué la casa está a oscuras?
Why is the house in the dark?
Creo que se fue la luz por la tormenta.
I think the power went out because of the storm.
✕Common Mistakes
La casa es a oscuras.
Use 'estar' instead of 'ser' because being in the dark is a temporary state or condition.
La casa está en oscuras.
The correct preposition for this fixed expression is 'a', not 'en'.
↔Alternatives
No hay luz en la casa.
There is no light in the house.
Todo está apagado.
Everything is turned off.
La casa está en penumbras.
The house is in semi-darkness.
Cultural Tip
In some regions, the phrase can also imply that no one is home or that people are sleeping. During 'apagones' (power outages), which occur in various Spanish-speaking countries, this is the standard way to describe the neighborhood or a building.