tu me manques plus
In French, "I miss you more" is said as tu me manques plus.
A response used to tell someone that you feel the longing for them even more than they feel for you.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "you are missing to me more" because the French verb manquer functions with the person being missed as the subject.
How does it change in a sentence?
Adding encore before plus makes the phrase "I miss you even more," which is a common way to intensify the sentiment.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly say je te manque plus when they mean "I miss you more". In French, je te manque actually means "you miss me."
Did you know?
- The word tu is a cognate of the German word du and the Russian word ты, all descending from the same prehistoric root.
- While English uses a single verb to express the feeling, French uses a construction that treats the person being missed as a missing piece of a whole that is 'lacking' to the speaker.
- While tu me manques plus is common, a native speaker might respond with moi encore plus to avoid repeating the verb and sound more natural.
Examples in context
- Salut! Ça fait longtemps qu'on ne s'est pas vus. Tu me manques encore plus chaque jour!Hi! It's been a while since we last met. I miss you even more every day!
Example conversation
Lucas and Manon are talking on the phone before seeing each other.
- LucasTu me manques tellement, Manon.I miss you so much, Manon.
- ManonMoi aussi, Lucas !Me too, Lucas!
- LucasJe crois que tu me manques plus que moi.I think I miss you more than you miss me.
- ManonC'est faux, tu me manques plus !That's not true, I miss you more!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries me, plus, tu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
