An electroluminescent device (20; 30; 50), comprising: - a light-emitting element (21; 31; 51) having a capacitance, - a switchable current source (22; 32; 52) being connected to the light-emitting element (21; 31; 51) for providing a driving current to the light-emitting element (21; 31; 51), and - a short detection circuit (23; 33; 53) for detecting a short in the light-emitting element (21; 31; 51), wherein the short detection circuit (23; 33; 53) comprises: - a triggerable voltage determining unit (24; 34; 54) for determining, upon being triggered, a voltage across the light-emitting element (21; 31; 51), - a triggering unit (25; 35; 55) for triggering the triggerable voltage determining unit (24; 34; 54) to determine the voltage across the light-emitting element (21; 31; 51) after a time period (At) during which the driving current is not provided to the light-emitting element (21; 31; 51), and - a short detection unit (26; 36; 56) for detecting a short in the light-emitting element (21; 31; 51) based on the determined voltage across the light-emitting element (21; 31; 51), wherein the time period (At) is shorter than a discharge time (τ2) required for the capacitance to become discharged when the driving current is not provided to the light-emitting element (21; 31; 51) in case there is no short in the light-emitting element (21; 31; 51). - a light-emitting element (21; 31; 51) having a capacitance, - a switchable current source (22; 32; 52) being connected to the light-emitting element (21; 31; 51) for providing a driving current to the light-emitting element (21; 31; 51), and - a short detection circuit (23; 33; 53) for detecting a short in the light-emitting element (21; 31; 51), wherein the short detection circuit (23; 33; 53) comprises: - a triggerable voltage determining unit (24; 34; 54) for determining, upon being triggered, a voltage across the light-emitting element (21; 31; 51), - a triggering unit (25; 35; 55) for triggering the triggerable voltage determining unit (24; 34; 54) to determine the voltage across the light-emitting element (21; 31; 51) after a time period (At) during which the driving current is not provided to the light-emitting element (21; 31; 51), and - a short detection unit (26; 36; 56) for detecting a short in the light-emitting element (21; 31; 51) based on the determined voltage across the light-emitting element (21; 31; 51), wherein the time period (At) is shorter than a discharge time (τ2) required for the capacitance to become discharged when the driving current is not provided to the light-emitting element (21; 31; 51) in case there is no short in the light-emitting element (21; 31; 51). - a triggerable voltage determining unit (24; 34; 54) for determining, upon being triggered, a voltage across the light-emitting element (21; 31; 51), - a triggering unit (25; 35; 55) for triggering the triggerable voltage determining unit (24; 34; 54) to determine the voltage across the light-emitting element (21; 31; 51) after a time period (At) during which the driving current is not provided to the light-emitting element (21; 31; 51), and - a short detection unit (26; 36; 56) for detecting a short in the light-emitting element (21; 31; 51) based on the determined voltage across the light-emitting element (21; 31; 51), wherein the time period (At) is shorter than a discharge time (τ2) required for the capacitance to become discharged when the driving current is not provided to the light-emitting element (21; 31; 51) in case there is no short in the light-emitting element (21; 31; 51).