tu me manques tellement
The French phrase for "I miss you so much" is tu me manques tellement.
This phrase is used to tell someone that you feel a strong sadness because they are not with you. While tu me manques tellement emphasizes the intensity of the feeling with "so much", using beaucoup instead results in the more standard "I miss you a lot".
Which one should you use?
The word tellement is used to emphasize the intensity of the feeling (so much), whereas beaucoup is a more standard way to say "a lot".
How does it change in a sentence?
The person being missed is actually the subject of the verb. Use vous me manquez tellement when you are speaking to more than one person or when you are using the formal vous register.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly say Je manque toi by following English word order. In French, the person missed must be the subject of the verb.
Did you know?
- While English uses 'miss' to describe a feeling of longing, the French verb manquer also functions to mean 'to fail' or 'to miss a target', such as a train or a goal.
- The word me in this phrase stems from the Latin 'mihi', which is the dative case. This is why the feeling is described as being 'missing to' someone.
- If you want to say 'I miss you' to a romantic partner in a very poetic way, you might use the phrase tu me manques as a way of saying they are a missing piece of your own being.
Examples in context
- Tu me manques tellement !I miss you so much!This sentence is useful for expressing the phrase with excitement.Tatoeba #3794653 by Danquebec, translation #3156039 by Ricardo14
- Tu me manques tellement. J'ai hâte de te voir.I miss you so much. I can't wait to see you.This sentence shows how to express that you miss someone and look forward to seeing them.Tatoeba #5658298 by Yemana, translation #2768881 by Hybrid
- Tu me manques tellement.I miss you so much.This sentence is a simple statement of the phrase.Tatoeba #1186068 by rene1596, translation #71535 by CK
- Ma chère amie, tu me manques beaucoup depuis que tu es partie en voyage. J'ai hâte de te revoir !My dear friend, I miss you so much since you left on your trip. I can't wait to see you again!
- Coucou ! Tu me manques tellement en ce moment. On devrait se revoir bientôt !Hey! I miss you so much right now. We should meet up soon!
Example conversation
Gabriel and Manon are talking on the phone after a long trip.
- GabrielTu me manques tellement, Manon.I miss you so much, Manon.
- ManonMoi aussi, tu me manques beaucoup.Me too, I miss you a lot.
- GabrielQuand est-ce que tu reviens ?When are you coming back?
- ManonJe rentre demain soir.I am coming back tomorrow evening.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries me, tellement, tu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
