tu m'as manqué
In French, "missed you" is said as tu m'as manqué.
This expression is used to tell someone that you felt their absence and wanted to see them again.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase tu m'as manqué is literally structured as "you to me have missed", which translates to the sense of "you were missing to me".
Which one should you use?
You may use vous m'avez manqué when addressing a group or a single person in a formal setting. For a more poetic and formal touch, you can use Votre absence m'a pesé, which literally means "your absence was heavy on me".
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the formal version, use vous m'avez manqué if you are speaking to more than one person or to one person in a formal context.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly say je t'ai manqué when they intend to say "I missed you". In French, je t'ai manqué actually means "you missed me".
Did you know?
- Because manquer also means 'to fail' or 'to miss a target', the phrase tu m'as manqué can be used literally if someone tried to hit the speaker with an object and failed.
- Calling someone un manqué is a harsh insult in French, implying that the person is a failure or fundamentally incomplete.
- The pronoun tu used in tu m'as manqué shares a common ancestor with the English word 'thou'. Both stem from the Proto-Indo-European root '*túh₂'.
Examples in context
- Tu m'as manqué aussi.I missed you, too.This sentence is useful for saying you missed the person in return using tu m'as manqué.Tatoeba #11802998 by lbdx, translation #6532383 by CK
- Comme tu m'as manqué !How I've missed you!This sentence is useful for emphasizing how much you missed the person using tu m'as manqué.Tatoeba #477156 by sacredceltic, translation #17486 by CK
- Toi aussi, tu m'as manqué.I've missed you, too.Tatoeba #12311987 by lbdx, translation #1891196 by CK
- Madame Dupont, vous m'avez manqué pendant votre absence.Mrs. Dupont, I missed you during your absence.
- Chère Madame, votre absence m'a pesé . J'attendais avec impatience de vous revoir.Dear Madam, your absence was heavy on me. I eagerly awaited your return.
- Mon cher ami, je suis si content de te revoir! Tu m'as manqué pendant ton voyage.My dear friend, I am so glad to see you! I missed you during your trip.
- 11 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Chloé reunite at the airport.
- LucasChloé, tu m'as manqué !Chloé, I missed you!
- ChloéMoi aussi, Lucas !Me too, Lucas!
- LucasJe suis content de te voir.I am happy to see you.
- ChloéMoi aussi, je suis ravie.Me too, I am delighted.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
