Manquer has 3 different uses and meanings in French. “Manquer” can be used alone, followed by de as in “Manquer de” or in the expression of missing someone, “Tu me manques.”
Let’s see the 3 different uses with examples. Don’t forget to download your free PDF at the bottom of the page.
The easiest usage of “manquer” is to express a missed opportunity or a failure. In this context, it will usually be followed by a noun.
J’ai manqué le bus.
I missed the bus.
Elle a manqué l’occasion de venir nous voir.
She missed the opportunity to visit us.
“Manquer” can also translate to a sense of lack or absence, often used with the preposition “de” to indicate what is missing.
Je manque de temps.
I’m running out of time.
Cette tarte manque de sucre.
This pie lacks sugar.
In French, the verb “manquer” is used with an indirect object pronoun to express the idea of missing someone. The structure “Tu me manques” literally translates to “You are missing to me.” The sentence’s subject is the person who is missed, and the object pronoun (me, te, lui, nous, vous, leur) represents the person who feels the absence or longing.
On the other hand, in English, the subject is the person who feels the absence, and the direct object is the person who is missed.
In French, “Tu me manques” focuses on the person who is being missed.
In English, “I miss you” focuses on the person who feels the absence.
Tu me manques.
I miss you.
Je te manque.
You miss me.
Mes enfants me manquent beaucoup.
I miss my children a lot.
Check out my Mastering French Pronouns Workshop to learn everything about French pronouns.
