claro de luna
/ˌklaɾo de ˈluna/masculine
In Spanish, 'moonlight' can be translated as claro de luna, luz de luna or lunada.
Meaning: light reflected from the Moon (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| claro de luna | /ˌklaɾo de ˈluna/ | masculine |
| lunada | /luˈnada/ | feminine |
| luz de luna | /luθ de luna/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /lus de luna/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
feminine |
The terms refer to the light reflected from the Moon.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase claro de luna literally translates to 'clearness of moon' or 'moon brightness'.
Which one should you use?
luz de luna is the common way to describe the general physical phenomenon of moonlight. In contrast, claro de luna is more poetic or refers to specific titles like Beethoven's Sonata. The form lunada is also available for moonlight.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun luz de luna is feminine, so any accompanying adjectives must be feminine, such as la luz de luna blanca (the white moonlight).
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌklaɾo de ˈluna/
Did you know?
- In Spanish, lunada does not just mean the light of the moon. It can also refer to a party or a social gathering that takes place specifically during a night of full moonlight.
- The word claro in claro de luna is a linguistic rarity. While most Latin words starting with 'cl' evolved into 'll' in Spanish, claro preserved its original Latin sound.
- The Spanish word claro has evolved from its Latin origin meaning 'bright' to also mean 'clear' or 'obvious' in everyday conversation.
Examples in context
- La sonata Claro de luna fue compuesta por Beethoven.Moonlight Sonata was composed by Beethoven.This sentence shows the use of claro de luna in a specific musical title.Tatoeba #11943382 by Eremon, translation #7248439 by Hybrid
- Había luz de luna ayer por la noche.There was moonlight yesterday evening.This sentence demonstrates the use of luz de luna to describe the presence of moonlight.Tatoeba #463101 by lukaszpp, translation #463100 by lukaszpp
- En este mundo, nada es más hermoso que escuchar un gallo triste en el interior del país cuando hay luz de luna. Incluso parece que escondida en la garganta de ese gallo, el alma de la luna canta en contrapunto, sollozando.In this world, nothing is more beautiful than hearing a sad rooster in the backlands when there is moonlight. It even seems that hidden in the throat of that rooster, the soul of the moon sings in counterpoint, sobbing.This sentence uses luz de luna to describe a beautiful, poetic setting involving moonlight.Tatoeba #12333636 by carlosalberto, translation #12333611 by carlosalberto
- La hermosa luz de la luna iluminaba la nocheThe beautiful moonlight illuminated the night
- Me encanta observar cómo la luz lunar ilumina el paisajeI love to watch how the moonlight illuminates the landscape
- El claro de luna bañaba la playa en una luz plateadaThe moonlight bathed the beach in a silvery light
Example conversation
Lucía and Alejandro are walking through a park at night.
- LucíaMira cuánto claro de luna hay esta noche.Look how much moonlight there is tonight.
- AlejandroEs verdad, se puede ver todo el camino.It's true, you can see the whole path.
- LucíaMe encanta caminar bajo el claro de luna.I love walking under the moonlight.
- AlejandroA mí también, Lucía, es muy romántico.Me too, Lucía, it is very romantic.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “moonlight” translations and entries claro de luna, lunada, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries claro, de, luna, luz, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
