Bedeutung
To be unpredictable in mood.
Kultureller Hintergrund
Many Italians still believe the moon's phases affect the quality of wine and oil. This deep-seated belief in 'lunar power' makes the idiom feel very grounded in reality. Federico Fellini, the famous director, was obsessed with the moon as a symbol of madness and poetry, notably in his film 'La voce della luna'. In Tuscany, you might hear 'avere le lune' (plural) more often to describe a person who is habitually difficult to please. In Southern Italy, some believe that sleeping with moonlight on your face can cause you to 'avere la luna' (become moody or crazy) the next day.
Add 'Storta'
If you want to sound more like a native, always add 'storta'. 'Avere la luna' is fine, but 'avere la luna storta' is what Italians actually say 90% of the time.
Not for Serious Anger
Don't use this if someone is truly furious or has a valid reason to be mad. It can sound like you are making fun of them.
Bedeutung
To be unpredictable in mood.
Add 'Storta'
If you want to sound more like a native, always add 'storta'. 'Avere la luna' is fine, but 'avere la luna storta' is what Italians actually say 90% of the time.
Not for Serious Anger
Don't use this if someone is truly furious or has a valid reason to be mad. It can sound like you are making fun of them.
The 'Girare' trick
Use 'Mi gira la luna' to sound even more idiomatic. It implies your mood is 'spinning' out of your control.
Teste dich selbst
Complete the sentence with the correct form of 'avere la luna'.
Oggi mia sorella non parla con nessuno, secondo me _______ storta.
We use the verb 'avere' (to have) for this idiom.
Which variation of the phrase is most common to emphasize a very bad mood?
Marco è davvero arrabbiato oggi, ha la luna _______.
'Storta' (crooked) is the standard idiomatic adjective to intensify the meaning.
Choose the best response for the situation.
A: 'Perché il capo ha urlato a tutti stamattina?' B: '_________________.'
This correctly identifies the boss's irrational bad mood.
🎉 Ergebnis: /3
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Aufgabensammlung
3 AufgabenOggi mia sorella non parla con nessuno, secondo me _______ storta.
We use the verb 'avere' (to have) for this idiom.
Marco è davvero arrabbiato oggi, ha la luna _______.
'Storta' (crooked) is the standard idiomatic adjective to intensify the meaning.
A: 'Perché il capo ha urlato a tutti stamattina?' B: '_________________.'
This correctly identifies the boss's irrational bad mood.
🎉 Ergebnis: /3
Häufig gestellte Fragen
10 FragenTechnically yes, but it's much less common. Usually, we say 'essere di buon umore'. 'Avere la luna' is almost always negative.
No, it is gender-neutral. Men, women, and children can all 'avere la luna'.
'Lunatico' is an adjective for a person's character. 'Avere la luna' is a temporary state. A person who isn't usually lunatico can still have the luna storta today.
Only if you have a very close, informal relationship. Otherwise, it's safer to say 'Il capo è occupato' or 'non è il momento migliore'.
Literally it means 'crooked' or 'twisted'. Metaphorically, it means something is not as it should be.
Yes! If your cat is scratching everyone for no reason, you can say 'Oggi il gatto ha la luna'.
Yes, 'avere le lune' or 'fare le lune'. It usually implies a more childish or frequent type of moodiness.
No. 'Luna Park' comes from the name of the first park in Coney Island (named after a woman named Luna), not the moon's influence on moods.
You can say 'Sono di cattivo umore' or 'Sono scocciato'.
No, it's a perfect synonym for 'avere la luna storta'. 'Di traverso' means 'sideways' or 'across'.
Verwandte Redewendungen
essere lunatico
similarTo be a moody person by nature.
luna di miele
contrastHoneymoon.
sbarcare il lunario
builds onTo make ends meet / to get by financially.
fare le lune
similarTo act in a capricious or sulky way.
