Verbs that flip: manquer, plaire, falloir

Tu me manques: you are missing to me

In English: Three French verbs that point the other way round from English: manquer (tu me manques = I miss you), plaire (ça me plaît = I like it) and falloir (il me faut = I need).

Some French verbs point the other way round from English. In 'I miss you', I am the subject and you are the object. French flips it: the person who is missed is the subject, and the one who feels it becomes a small pronoun in front of the verb. Tu me manques, literally 'you are missing to me'. The pronouns are me, te, lui, nous, vous, leur.

Plaire works the same way. Ça me plaît, 'that pleases me', is how you say I like it. Ce film lui plaît = she likes this film. The thing you like is the subject, so the verb agrees with it: ces chansons me plaisent. With a noun instead of a pronoun, add à: ce film plaît à Léa.

Falloir only ever has il as its subject: il faut. Il me faut un stylo = I need a pen, 'a pen is necessary to me'. Il nous faut partir = we have to leave. Same trick: the person is me, te, lui, nous, vous, leur.

Examples

Practice (sample)

Pick the right French

1. How do you say 'I miss you'?
   Tu me manques. / Je te manque. / Je manque toi.
   Answer

   Tu me manques.. The person who is missed (you) is the subject: tu me manques. Je te manque means 'you miss me'.
2. How do you say 'You miss me'?
   Je te manque. / Tu me manques. / Tu manques moi.
   Answer

   Je te manque.. I am the one who is missed, so I am the subject: je te manque.
3. How do you say 'I like it'?
   Ça me plaît. / Je plais ça. / Ça te plaît.
   Answer

   Ça me plaît.. It pleases me: ça (the thing) is the subject, me is the person.
4. How do you say 'I need a pen'?
   Il me faut un stylo. / Je faut un stylo. / Il faut moi un stylo.
   Answer

   Il me faut un stylo.. Falloir always starts with il. The person is the pronoun me.
5. Mes amis ______ manquent. (I miss my friends)
   me / moi / je
   Answer

   me. The one who feels it is the object pronoun me. Mes amis is the subject.
6. Ce cadeau ______ plaît beaucoup. (She likes this present a lot)
   lui / elle / la
   Answer

   lui. Plaire à: the person is an indirect object, lui (to her).

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