Verb: manquer à

The French verb “manquer à” means “to miss (someone)” “Manquer” is a regular “-er” verb. In fact it has several meanings, but one of its main meanings is to miss someone, in the sense of wishing that they were here. In this construction, it is used with either “à” or a indirect object pronoun.

Examples of “manquer à”

  • Tu me manques (“I miss you,” but literally “You are missing to me”)
  • Je te manque (“You miss me,” but literally “I am missing to you”)
  • Ma famille me manque (“I miss my family,” but literally “My family is missing to me”)
  • Il lui manque (“She misses him,” but literally “He is missing to her”)
  • Elle lui manque (“He misses her,” but literally “She is missing to him”)
  • Nous leur manquons (“They miss us,” but literally “We are missing to them”)
  • Nous manquons à Mathilde (“Mathilde misses us,” but literally “We are missing to Mathilde”)
  • Marc manque à Fabienne (“Fabienne misses Marc,” but literally “Marc is missing to Fabienne”)

When you long for someone or something that is absent, you use “manquer” with either an indirect object pronoun (or COI – Complément d’Object Indirect in French), or with “à” and the name of the person or persons who are experiencing the emotion of missing someone.

Don’t miss new articles!

Get 1 email a week with new articles about French

We don’t spam! Read more in our privacy policy

Similar Posts

  • prévenir vs prévoir

    Two French verbs that often cause confusion among learners are “prévoir” and “prévenir.” Despite their similar spellings, these verbs carry distinct meanings and are used in different contexts. “Prévoir” is a verb that translates to “to foresee” or “to predict” in English. It is used when someone anticipates or plans for something in the future….

  • maint

    The French adjective “maint” means “many,” “many a,” “numerous” or “manifold.” It is a little archaic and is most commonly used in a literary way, although some still use it in everyday speech. People tend to prefer more modern words such as “beaucoup,” “nombreux,” “plusieurs,” or more familiarly, “plein de.” As an adjective, “maint” must…

  • French Verbs of Leaving

    In French, several verbs convey the idea of “leaving” in English, but they are not interchangeable. The verbs quitter, partir, and laisser each carry distinct meanings, grammatical constructions, and emotional nuances. Understanding their differences is essential for accurate and idiomatic usage. Quitter: To Leave (Someone or Something) The verb quitter is a transitive verb, meaning…

  • I do my best

    The most common French translation of the phrase “I do my best” is “je fais de mon mieux,” but there are some variations and alternative translations that you should know about. “I do my best” in French: je fais de mon mieux The phrase “je fais de mon mieux” translates directly to “I do my…

  • être censé

    The French phrase “être censé” means “to be supposed.” It is usually followed by a verb in the infinitive. There is no need to use the word “de” or “à” between “être” and “censé.” The “être” part is usually conjugated in either the present or the imperfect tense. Note also that “censé” must agree in…

  • past subjunctive

    The French past subjunctive is called le subjonctif passé. It is a compound tense used to express uncertainty, emotion, doubt, necessity or possibility about an action that has already been completed. Like the present subjunctive, the past subjunctive is used in subordinate clauses introduced by que. The past subjunctive is formed using the present subjunctive…