/aˈvere la ˈtɛsta fra le ˈnuvole/ lit. ‘to have your head among the clouds’
Italian idiom, everyday. To be lost in thought and not paying attention.
Draft Not yet checked by a native Italian speaker.
How do people use Avere la testa fra le nuvole
?
Everyday Italian, used by teachers, parents and partners alike. It often comes with “sempre” for a person who’s always distracted: “ha sempre la testa fra le nuvole”. “Fra” and “tra” are interchangeable here, so pick whichever sounds better next to the words around it.
Also said avere la testa tra le nuvole, essere tra le nuvole
Avere la testa fra le nuvole
in real sentences
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Ha sempre la testa fra le nuvole.
He is always day-dreaming.
Tatoeba, sentence by Guybrush88, translation by CK, CC BY 2.0 FR
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Tom aveva la testa tra le nuvole.
Tom was daydreaming.
Tatoeba, sentence by dnnywld, translation by CK, CC BY 2.0 FR
Where does Avere la testa fra le nuvole
come from?
Italian Wiktionary lists “avere la testa tra le nuvole” under “nuvola”, and English Wiktionary gives it as the Italian for “have one’s head in the clouds”. English, French and Spanish all put the distracted head in the sky. No source says when Italian first used it, or whether it came from another language.
Mistakes learners make with Avere la testa fra le nuvole
Using it for someone with big unrealistic plans. In Italian it’s about not paying attention right now, a person who missed what you just said, more than a dreamer with impossible ideas.
Other Italian idioms like Avere la testa fra le nuvole
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?
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