What does it mean word for word?
Literally, mi manchi translates to "you are missing to me". In this construction, mi means "to me" and manchi is the second-person singular form of the verb mancare, which means "to miss" or "to lack".
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase mi manchi uses the singular informal conjugation of the verb. Because the verb mancare functions similarly to piacere, the subject of the sentence is actually the person being missed. To say "I miss you" to a group of people, use the plural form mi mancate. If you want to say "I miss him", "I miss her" or "I miss it", use mi manca.
How do you pronounce it?
/mi ˈman.ki/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers sometimes mistakenly say ti manco when they intend to say "I miss you". However, ti manco actually means "You miss me".
Did you know?
- If an Italian says mi manca il respiro, they are not missing a person but are literally saying 'I am out of breath'.
- The verb mancare is used in Italian to describe a 'near miss' in sports or accidents, such as when a ball barely misses the goal.
- Because mancare means 'to be lacking', saying mi manchi is logically closer to saying 'you are a missing piece of me' than the English 'I miss you'.
Examples in context
- Tu mi manchi già.I miss you already.This sentence shows how to use mi manchi to say "I miss you already".Tatoeba #3049985 by Guybrush88, translation #2280311 by CK
- Tu mi manchi, Tom.I miss you, Tom.This sentence shows how to use mi manchi when addressing someone by name.Tatoeba #2001781 by Guybrush88, translation #1887572 by CK
- Oh, come mi manchi!Oh, how I miss you!This sentence shows how to use mi manchi to express how much you miss someone.Tatoeba #11728357 by Guybrush88, translation #5716367 by zumley
- Caro, mi manchi così tanto. Non vedo l'ora di vederti di nuovo.Dear, I miss you so much. I can't wait to see you again.
- Mi manca la tua voce dolce che mi fa sentire al sicuro.I miss your sweet voice that makes me feel safe.
- Amore, sto sentendo la tua mancanza ogni giorno di più.Darling, I'm feeling your absence more and more every day.
- 13 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lorenzo and Sofia are talking on the phone after a long trip.
- LorenzoCiao Sofia, mi manchi tanto.Hi Sofia, I miss you so much.
- SofiaAnche tu mi manchi, Lorenzo.I miss you too, Lorenzo.
- LorenzoNon vedo l'ora di vederti.I can't wait to see you.
- SofiaA presto, caro.See you soon, dear.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I miss you” translations and entries mi manchi, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
