Meaning of French tu me manques in English

The French phrase tu me manques translates to “I miss you” in English, but its structure is quite different. In French, the subject is the person who is missed, and the object is the person experiencing the feeling. So instead of saying “I miss you,” a French speaker literally says, “You are missing to me.”

This reversal often surprises English speakers, as it challenges the way we usually think about expressing emotions. It follows the same pattern with other pronouns or nouns: Elle me manque (“I miss her”), Mes amis me manquent (“I miss my friends”).

One interesting aspect of tu me manques is its depth. Some argue that it conveys a stronger sense of longing than the English “I miss you,” as it emphasizes the absence of the other person rather than the speaker’s own feeling. Whether or not this is true, it’s an essential expression for personal relationships in French.