The invention relates to a lighting device (1) for a motor vehicle headlight for generating a light pattern with a light-shadow line, wherein the lighting device comprises a light source (10), a light-permeable body (100), a light injection element (101) for injecting light which the at least one light source (10) emits, and a projection device (500). The light-permeable body (100) has an aperture device (103) with an aperture edge region (104). A light beam (S2) spreading in the optical element (110) is displayed by the projection device (500) as a light pattern (LV) with a light-shadow line (HD), with the light-shadow line (HD) being determined by the aperture edge region (104) of the aperture device (103). At least one light guide element (200, 300) is arranged on the optical element (110), which light guide element has a light guide element light incoupling face (201, 301) and a light guide element light outcoupling face (202, 302), the at least one light guide element (200, 300) being arranged on the optical element (110) in such a manner that light (S3) is injected from the light injection element (101) via the light guide element light incoupling face (201, 301) into the at least one light guide element (200, 300), spreads within this, and enters the optical element (110) again via the light guide element light outcoupling face (202, 302), the light guide element light outcoupling face (202, 302) of the at least one light guide element (200, 300) issuing into the optical element (110) in such a manner that the at least one light guide element light outcoupling face (200, 300) lies beneath the aperture edge region (104) as considered in the vertical direction (Z), so that the light rays (S5) re-entering the optical element (110) from the projection optical assembly (200) are projected as a sign-light light beam (SL) into a region (B) of the light pattern located above the light-shadow line, and are displayed in the light pattern as a sign-light light pattern (SV), for instance.