lunatique
/ly.na.tik/
The English word moody is expressed in French as lunatique.
lunatique is used to describe a person who is given to sudden or frequent changes of mind or who is temperamental.
Meaning: Given to sudden or frequent changes of mind, temperamental (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective lunatique is gender-neutral, meaning it remains the same regardless of whether the subject is masculine or feminine.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of lunatique is /ly.na.tik/ and it has three syllables.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful not to confuse lunatique with the English word 'lunatic'. In French, lunatique specifically refers to someone with changing moods rather than someone who is insane.
Did you know?
- The concept of being 'moonstruck' is embedded in the French term, suggesting that a person's changing moods are controlled by the phases of the moon.
- To describe a moody atmosphere or weather rather than a person, French speakers would avoid lunatique and use changeant instead.
Examples in context
- Il est parfois lunatique.He can be moody.Tatoeba #12233493 by Orange, translation #12233492 by Orange
- Elle peut être lunatique, par moments.She can be moody at times.Tatoeba #3251552 by sacredceltic, translation #3250957 by Hybrid
- Tu es lunatique.You're moody.Tatoeba #4599543 by sacredceltic, translation #2203091 by CK
- Son comportement est souvent lunatique.His behavior is often moody.
- Elle est souvent irritable ces derniers temps.She has been moody lately.
- Ne lui parle pas, il est de mauvaise humeur aujourd'hui.Don't talk to him, he's moody today.
- Elle est boudeuse depuis qu'elle a reçu cette mauvaise note.She's been moody since she got that bad grade.
Example conversation
Emma and Nathan are discussing a mutual friend's behavior.
- EmmaMarc est très lunatique en ce moment.Marc is very moody right now.
- NathanC'est vrai, il change d'avis tout le temps.It's true, he changes his mind all the time.
- EmmaC'est difficile de lui parler quand il est ainsi.It's hard to talk to him when he is like that.
- NathanJe suis d'accord avec toi, Emma.I agree with you, Emma.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “moody” translations and entries lunatique, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries lunatique, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
