quelqu'un me manque
To say "I miss someone" in French, use quelqu'un me manque.
This phrase is used to express sadness because a person is not present or is no longer in one's life.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is structured so that the person being missed is the subject, meaning "someone is missing to me".
How does it change in a sentence?
To say "I missed someone" in the past tense, you change the verb to the imperfect tense manquait while keeping the person being missed as the subject, such as in quelqu'un me manquait.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the subject je (I) to mean "I miss", but in French, the person being missed must be the subject of the sentence. Do not say je manque quelqu'un.
Did you know?
- The root of manque is the Latin word mancus, which originally referred to being maimed or missing a limb.
- Because the person missed is the subject, saying Je manque à quelqu'un actually means 'I am missed by someone' rather than 'I miss someone'.
- The verb manquer is so versatile that it can be used to express missing a train or a target in addition to missing a person.
Examples in context
- Chers collègues, vous me manquez tous depuis que j'ai quitté mon ancien travail.Dear colleagues, I miss all of you since I left my previous job.
- Mon ami, tu me manques tellement depuis que tu es parti en vacances.My friend, I miss you so much since you went on vacation.
- Ma chère amie, tu m'ennuies tellement depuis que tu as déménagé à Montréal.My dear friend, I miss you so much since you moved to Montreal.
- Quelqu'un me manque beaucoup.I miss someone very much.
- Je ne sais pas pourquoi, mais quelqu'un me manque.I don't know why, but I miss someone.
- Quelqu'un me manque depuis son départ.I have missed someone since their departure.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Chloé are talking about their families.
- GabrielTu as l'air triste, Gabriel.You look sad, Gabriel.
- ChloéOui, quelqu'un me manque énormément aujourd'hui.Yes, I miss someone enormously today.
- GabrielEst-ce que c'est un membre de ta famille ?Is it a member of your family?
- ChloéOui, c'est mon grand-père.Yes, it is my grandfather.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries manque, me, quelqu'un, CC BY-SA 4.0.
