don't understand!!

PippaB2Kwiziq community member

don't understand!!

Why is my answer the wrong way round??

I miss our Netflix and pizza nights!

I wrote = Je manque nos soirees Netflix et pizza.... 

but best answer places ... Nos soirees Netflix et pizza me manquent... at the beginning of the sentence and I don't understand and the grammar doesn't explain why!! HELP ME!!! Thanks guys

Asked 2 years ago
MaartenC1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor Correct answer

The lesson does explain why, but it can be difficult to come to grips with, as it is a 'reverse' situation to English usage.

When it comes to 'emotional missing' the subject is what is being missed, the object is 'doing' the missing - so 'Nos soirées Netflix and pizza' are being missed, and form the subject, while "I" am missing them - so 'I' (me) forms the object. 

Alternative ways to think about this is that the literal translations are actually "Nos soirées Netflix and pizza are missed by me" or "Nos soirées Netflix and pizza are lacking/missing to me". 

Also, if you remember that the most important part of this sentence is what is being missed, and therefore it goes first (as the subject), it helps. It is presumptuous to say to someone "Je te manque" - you miss me,  instead of "Tu me manque" - I miss you.  

It is similar with the verb 'plaisir' - the structure is the 'reverse' of English usage, so it is important to get your head around it for both.

Have another look at the lesson, and the external link is useful too.

Using manquer (à) to say you miss someone or something emotionally in French

https://www.frenchtoday.com/blog/french-grammar/i-miss-you-in-french/

 

 

 

 

PippaB2Kwiziq community member

fantastic answer - thanks

don't understand!!

Why is my answer the wrong way round??

I miss our Netflix and pizza nights!

I wrote = Je manque nos soirees Netflix et pizza.... 

but best answer places ... Nos soirees Netflix et pizza me manquent... at the beginning of the sentence and I don't understand and the grammar doesn't explain why!! HELP ME!!! Thanks guys

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