na-miss kita
In Tagalog, "I missed you" is said as na-miss kita.
The phrase is used to express that you felt sadness or a sense of longing because someone was not with you. You can add the word Grabe to the beginning of the phrase, as in Grabe, namiss kita, to add emphasis and convey a stronger sense of longing.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a hybrid construction using the English loanword 'miss' combined with Tagalog grammar. The prefix na- indicates a completed action, while the pronoun kita specifically means 'I [verb] you'.
Which one should you use?
You can use Miss na miss kita as an informal way to intensify the feeling of missing someone.
How does it change in a sentence?
The direction of the sentiment can be changed by swapping the pronouns. While na-miss kita means 'I missed you', changing it to na-miss mo ako changes the meaning to 'you missed me'.
Did you know?
- Tagalog speakers often use the English loanword 'miss' because the native Tagalog equivalents for longing are often considered too heavy or poetic for casual conversation.
- In the phrase na-miss kita, the pronoun kita encodes both the subject and the object simultaneously, meaning 'I' and 'you' are both contained in one word.
- The pronoun kita in the phrase is an exact homonym of the Tagalog word for 'rent' or 'wages'.
Examples in context
- Miss na miss talaga kita, sweetheart.I really missed you, sweetheart.
- Sobra kitang namiss, love.I missed you so much, love.
- Sobra akong nangulila nung wala ka.I longed so much for you when you were gone.
- Na-miss kita nang sobra.I missed you so much.
- Na-miss kita nung wala ka rito.I missed you when you weren't here.
- Na-miss kita, kumusta ka na?I missed you, how have you been?
Example conversation
Ricardo and Jasmine meet at a cafe after being apart for a long time.
- RicardoNa-miss kita, Jasmine!I missed you, Jasmine!
- JasmineNa-miss din kita, Ricardo.I missed you too, Ricardo.
- RicardoAng tagal nating hindi nagkita.It has been a long time since we saw each other.
- JasmineOo, pero heto na tayo.Yes, but here we are now.
