louse
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louse
A small, wingless insect that lives as a parasite on the skin or in the hair of humans and other mammals.
Nach der Klassenfahrt mussten alle Kinder auf Läuse untersucht werden.
After the class trip, all the children had to be checked for lice.
The idiom 'jemandem ist eine Laus über die Leber gelaufen' (someone is in a bad mood; literally, a louse has run over someone's liver) always requires a person in the dative. This person is the one who is in a bad mood.
Was ist denn los mit dir? Ist dir eine Laus über die Leber gelaufen?
What's wrong with you? Are you in a bad mood?
You can recognize the figurative meaning by the fixed combination with the word 'Leber' (liver). Without this part of the sentence, 'Laus' (louse) always refers to the insect.
Mein Chef war heute unerträglich. Ich glaube, dem ist eine Laus über die Leber gelaufen.
My boss was unbearable today. I think he's in a bad mood.
In connection with the insect, 'Laus' (louse) is often used with the verbs 'haben' (to have) or 'bekommen' (to get). A common phrase is also 'jemanden auf Läuse untersuchen' (to check someone for lice).
Der Kindergarten hat uns informiert, dass einige Kinder Läuse haben.
The kindergarten informed us that some children have lice.
flea
'der Floh' and 'die Laus' are both small wingless insects that can live as parasites on people or animals. That makes them easy to confuse. The most important difference is the typical place: fleas jump and are often found on pets or in homes. Lice tend to live in hair or on the skin and are often discovered in children at school or kindergarten. If an animal is scratching, people often talk about fleas. If it is about hair on the head, 'Laus' usually fits better.
In der Schule wurde bei einem Kind eine Laus gefunden.
At school, a louse was found on one child.
Bei der Arbeit erzählt Yusuf, dass sein Hund einen Floh hatte.
At work, Yusuf says that his dog had a flea.