Ways to say it
| Italian | Note |
|---|---|
| jet lag | masculine |
| mal di fuso | masculine |
| fusopatia | feminine, uncommon |
All three terms refer to the physical condition resulting from traveling across different time zones. While jet lag is the most frequent choice in daily conversation, mal di fuso is the standard Italian translation. Fusopatia is an uncommon term for this condition.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase mal di fuso literally translates to 'fuso sickness', where fuso refers to the time zone or spindle.
Which one should you use?
jet lag is the common English loanword used in everyday spoken Italian. mal di fuso serves as the standard Italian translation and is appropriate for more formal or descriptive contexts. fusopatia is an uncommon feminine noun.
How does it change in a sentence?
The borrowed term jet lag is a masculine noun and is typically preceded by the masculine article il. When expressing that you are suffering from this condition, you can use the prepositions di or per before jet lag.
Did you know?
- The term fuso in mal di fuso shares an ancient root with the English word 'pour'.
- The phrase mal di fuso follows a pattern used for other specific ailments, such as mal di montagna for altitude sickness.
- While jet lag is used in casual talk, the term fusopatia follows a Greek-style medical construction. It combines fuso with the suffix -patia, meaning 'disease' or 'suffering'.
Examples in context
- Avevo il jet lag.I had jet lag.This sentence shows how to state that you had jet lag.Tatoeba #5829357 by Guybrush88, translation #5829216 by CK
- Ho un brutto caso di jet lag.I've got a bad case of jet lag.This sentence demonstrates how to describe having a bad case of jet lag.Tatoeba #2181571 by Guybrush88, translation #264091 by CK
- Sto ancora soffrendo per il jet lag.I'm still suffering from jet lag.This sentence illustrates how to say you are suffering from jet lag.Tatoeba #2181568 by Guybrush88, translation #255647 by CK
- Ho viaggiato da New York a Roma e ora ho uno sfasamento orario terribile.I traveled from New York to Rome, and now I have terrible jet lag.
- Dopo il volo transatlantico, mi sento esausto a causa del mal d'aria.After the transatlantic flight, I feel exhausted because of jet lag.
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Giulia and Alessandro meet for coffee after her trip to Japan.
- GiuliaCiao Alessandro! Scusa se sono stanca, ho il jet lag.Hi Alessandro! Sorry if I'm tired, I have jet lag.
- AlessandroImmagino, hai fatto un viaggio lunghissimo!I imagine, you took a very long trip!
- GiuliaSì, il jet lag mi sta facendo impazzire.Yes, jet lag is driving me crazy.
- AlessandroRiposati pure, ci sentiamo domani.Go get some rest, we'll talk tomorrow.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “jet lag” translations and entries jet lag, mal di fuso, fusopatia, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries di, fuso, fusopatia, jet lag, mal di fuso, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
