ma mère me manque
In French, "I miss my mom" is expressed as ma mère me manque.
This phrase is used to express that you feel sadness because you are not with your mother.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is structured literally as "my mother is missing to me", which is the reverse of the English "I miss my mother".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
You can use ma maman me manque to be more affectionate and childlike, similar to saying "mommy" in English. You might also use the colloquial expression C'est dur sans ma mère to say "It's hard without my mom".
How does it change in a sentence?
In French, the person being missed must be the subject of the sentence. This means the subject and object are reversed compared to English.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the subject je (I) with the verb manquer. Do not say je manque ma mère, as this would incorrectly mean "I am missing my mother" (as in, she is lost or I am absent from her).
Did you know?
- The word manque is actually a linguistic guest from Italy, having been borrowed from the Italian word manco in the late 16th century.
- In French, the word manquer can be used to describe missing a target or a shot in sports, not just missing a person.
- The affectionate term maman is common in French, but using it as an adult in formal settings can be seen as overly childlike.
Examples in context
- Ma mère me manque beaucoup.I miss my mother very much.
- Parfois, ma mère me manque.Sometimes, I miss my mother.
Example conversation
Chloé is talking to Lucas about her family.
- ChloéJe ne suis pas heureuse, ma mère me manque.I am not happy, I miss my mother.
- LucasC'est normal, tu es loin d'elle.That's normal, you are far from her.
- ChloéOui, ma mère me manque tout le temps.Yes, I miss my mother all the time.
- LucasTu devrais l'appeler ce soir.You should call her tonight.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ma, manque, me, mère, CC BY-SA 4.0.
