tu m'as manqué
The English phrase "I missed you" is translated into French as tu m'as manqué.
This phrase is used to express that you felt sadness or a sense of longing while someone was away from you.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "you were missing to me". In this structure, the person who was absent acts as the subject of the verb manquer.
Which one should you use?
While English uses "I" as the subject to describe the feeling of missing someone, French uses "tu" (you) as the subject to indicate the person who was being missed.
How does it change in a sentence?
If you are speaking to a group of people, or to one person in a formal setting, use vous m'avez manqué.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful not to say je t'ai manqué. Although this looks like a direct translation of "I missed you", it actually means "you missed me" (literally: I was missing to you).
Did you know?
- The verb manquer also means 'to miss' in the sense of failing to hit a target or missing a train. This connects the feeling of emotional loss to the physical act of missing a mark.
- In the phrase tu m'as manqué, the pronoun tu shares the same Proto-Indo-European root as the English word 'thou'.
- Because manquer can mean 'to be lacking', the phrase tu m'as manqué can subtly imply that the other person is a necessary part of the speaker's completeness.
Examples in context
- Tu m'as manqué aussi.I missed you, too.This sentence shows how to respond to someone saying they missed you.Tatoeba #11802998 by lbdx, translation #6532383 by CK
- Tu m'as manqué aujourd'hui.I missed you today.This sentence demonstrates how to specify that the feeling occurred during the course of the day.Tatoeba #8390966 by Aiji, translation #1574399 by CM
- Tu m'as manqué la nuit dernière.I missed you last night.This sentence illustrates how to specify that the feeling occurred during the previous night.Tatoeba #5820504 by Aiji, translation #2036494 by CM
- Tu m'as manqué pendant ton voyage. Content de te revoir!I missed you during your trip. Glad to see you again!
- Votre retour est un soulagement. Vous m'avez manqué.Your return is a relief. You were missed by me.
- Votre absence m'a été pesante. Je suis ravi(e) de vous revoir!Your absence was burdensome for me. I'm delighted to see you again!
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Manon meet at the train station after a long time.
- GabrielTu m'as manqué, Manon.I missed you, Manon.
- ManonOh, c'est gentil, Gabriel.Oh, that is kind, Gabriel.
- GabrielJe suis tellement content de te voir.I am so happy to see you.
- ManonMoi aussi, je suis ravie d'être là.Me too, I am delighted to be here.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
