tu nous manques
The English phrase "we miss you" is translated into French as tu nous manques.
This phrase is used to tell someone that you feel sadness because they are not with you.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is structured so that the person being missed is the subject, and the people doing the missing are the indirect objects. Literally, tu nous manques means "you are missing to us".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, you might hear Tu nous manques-tu or Tu nous manques, là to express longing.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say "we miss you" to more than one person or to one person formally, use vous nous manquez instead of tu nous manques.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly try to translate "we miss you" directly as nous te manquons, but in French, the person being missed must be the subject of the verb manquer.
Did you know?
- The word manquer can also be used to describe a missed target in archery or a missed train, reflecting the same idea of a 'gap' or 'absence'.
- In certain French regions, a speaker might use je instead of nous to mean 'we', though this was historically mocked as sounding unrefined or peasant-like.
- Because manquer means 'to be lacking', the phrase tu nous manques describes the state of the speaker being incomplete without the other person.
Examples in context
- Tu nous manques aussi.We miss you, too.Tatoeba #6470255 by lapinhibou, translation #3312652 by CK
- Tu nous manques.We miss you.Tatoeba #4777511 by sacredceltic, translation #2241162 by CK
- Tu nous manques et nous avons hâte que tu sois ici.We miss you and are really looking forward to you being here.Tatoeba #2810996 by Rockaround, translation #1173212 by CM
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Gabriel are talking on a video call.
- EmmaSalut Gabriel, comment vas-tu ?Hi Gabriel, how are you?
- GabrielÇa va, mais tu nous manques beaucoup.I am fine, but we miss you a lot.
- EmmaC'est gentil, vous me manquez aussi.That's kind, I miss you too.
- GabrielOn se voit bientôt ?Will we see each other soon?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries nous, tu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
