tu me manques
/ty mə mɑ̃k/
To say "miss you" in French, use tu me manques.
This expression is used to tell someone that you feel sad because they are not with you.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, tu me manques translates to "you are missing to me". This reverses the logic of the English phrase, where the person doing the missing is usually the subject.
How does it change in a sentence?
In French, the subject of the sentence is the person who is being missed. For example, to say "I miss her", you say elle me manque (she is missing to me).
How do you pronounce it?
/ty mə mɑ̃k/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly say Je te manque when they intend to say "I miss you". In French, Je te manque actually means "You miss me".
Did you know?
- In French, you can use the same verb manquer to describe a missed train or a missed goal in soccer.
- The pronoun tu shares a common ancestor with the Russian word ты, meaning both languages trace the word back to the same Proto-Indo-European root.
- While tu me manques is for close friends and partners, you must use vous me manquez for a group or someone you address formally.
Examples in context
- Tu me manques !I miss you!This is a simple way to say "I miss you!"Tatoeba #6055110 by verdakoro, translation #6055899 by sergiomelo
- Tu me manques déjà.I miss you already.This shows how to express that you miss someone already.Tatoeba #2482558 by sacredceltic, translation #2280311 by CK
- Tu me manques, Tom.I miss you, Tom.This demonstrates how to include a person's name in the phrase.Tatoeba #7815585 by Rockaround, translation #1887572 by CK
- Mon ami, tu me manques énormément.My friend, I miss you a lot.
- Mon bébé, c'est toi qui me manques le plus.My baby, I miss you the most.
- Ma chérie, tu me manques terriblement chaque jour qui passe.My darling, I miss you terribly every passing day.
- Mon meilleur ami, tu me manques. Reviens vite!My best friend, I miss you. Come back soon!
- 29 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Léa are talking on the phone after a weekend apart.
- LucasTu me manques beaucoup, Léa.I miss you a lot, Léa.
- LéaMoi aussi, tu me manques.I miss you too.
- LucasVivement qu'on se voie.I can't wait until we see each other.
- LéaOui, à bientôt !Yes, see you soon!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry tu me manques, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries me, tu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
