luna crescente
/ˈlu.na kreʃˈʃɛn.te/word by word
The English phrase "crescent moon" in Italian is luna crescente. If unsure, use luna crescente. Wiktionary also lists fase di novilunio.
Meaning: the moon as it appears in its first or last quarter (noun)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| luna crescente | /ˈlu.na kreʃˈʃɛn.te/ (word by word) | |
| fase di novilunio | /ˈfa.ze di no.viˈlu.njo/ (word by word) | feminine |
luna crescente is used to describe the moon as it appears in its first or last quarter. You may also encounter the term mezzaluna, which literally translates to "half moon" or Falce di Luna, which literally means "moon sickle".
What does it mean word for word?
The term luna crescente is composed of luna (moon) and the present participle crescente (growing/increasing).
Which one should you use?
While luna crescente refers to the waxing/crescent moon, luna calante is used for the waning moon.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun luna is feminine, so the adjective crescente must agree in gender, though crescente remains the same for both masculine and feminine singular forms.
Did you know?
- The Italian word crescente is a linguistic doublet of the English word 'croissant'. Both words derive from the Latin 'crēscentem' because the pastry is shaped like a waxing moon.
- In Italian, the term mezzaluna does not just describe the moon. It is also the name of a curved kitchen knife used for chopping herbs and vegetables.
- In Italian folklore, the luna crescente is often associated with growth and prosperity, while the luna calante is linked to declension or the ending of a cycle.
Examples in context
- In una calda notte estiva, la splendida mezzaluna illuminava il cielo stellato.On a warm summer night, the splendid crescent moon illuminated the starry sky.
- Stasera c'è una bellissima falce di Luna nel cielo!Tonight there is a beautiful crescent moon in the sky!
- Guarda la luna crescente nel cielo.Look at the crescent moon in the sky.
- La luna crescente è molto luminosa stasera.The crescent moon is very bright tonight.
- Ho disegnato una luna crescente sul quaderno.I drew a crescent moon in my notebook.
Example conversation
Sofia and Alessandro are looking at the night sky.
- SofiaAlessandro, vedi quella luna crescente?Alessandro, do you see that crescent moon?
- AlessandroSì Sofia, è davvero piccola.Yes Sofia, it is really small.
- SofiaMi piace molto questa fase lunare.I really like this lunar phase.
- AlessandroHai ragione, è molto suggestiva.You are right, it is very atmospheric.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “crescent moon” translations and entries luna crescente, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (luna, crescente, fase, di, novilunio) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries crescente, di, fase, luna, novilunio, CC BY-SA 4.0.
