Qu’est-ce qui te manque?

Nancy S.B2Kwiziq community member

Qu’est-ce qui te manque?

I don’t understand how to know whether this refers to a person (WHOM do you miss) or to a thing (WHAT are you missing).

Asked 1 year ago
CécileNative French expert teacher in KwiziqCorrect answer

Hi Nancy,

The relative pronouns qui and que are used differently, qui replaces a noun/subject and que a noun/object.

Furthermore, qui is never elided so qu' is que here.

With an odd construction like the verb 'manquer', I can understand your confusion but -

Qu'est ce qui te manques ? What are you lacking/short of ?

If it was a person it would be -

Qui est-ce qui te manques ?/ Qui te manques ? Who are you missing?

Hope this helps?

 

CélineNative French expert teacher in KwiziqCorrect answer

Bonjour Nancy,

Qui est petit ? = Who is small?

Qui est-ce qui fais ce bruit ? = Who (is it who) is making that noise ?

 

-> in both examples, "Qui" is a person. So,"qui/qui est-ce qui" + [conjugated verb] ? = Who + [conjugated verb]?.

 

Attention:

Qui est-ce que tu aimes ? = Whom do you love?

-> "Qui est-ce que" + [noun/subject] + [conjugated verb] ?= Whom ?

 

Take a look the link below:

Qui/Qui est-ce que ... ? = Whom ... ? (French Questions)

 

Remember: 

Qui est-ce qui + [conjugated verb] ? = Who + [conjugated verb]?

versus

Qui est-ce que + [noun/subject] + [conjugated verb] ? = Whom do/did + [subject] + [verb]?

 

 

I hope this is helpful.

Bonne journée !

 

Jim J.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

Bonjour Nancy,

It is tricky   --  In this case "qui" is a relative pronoun and the verb manquer is being employed intransitively (to an indirect object) te.

So we have effectively "what (que) is it (est-ce) that (qui) is lacking / missing (manque) for / to  / from you (te) "Qu'est-ce qui te manque" 

I hope this helps.

Bonne continuation.

Jim

Nancy S.B2Kwiziq community member

I do understand the difference between a subject and an object. What I don’t understand is how to tell whether QUI is a person (who) or a thing (what) in the following sentences: 

Qui est petit? (Is QUI a person or a thing?). 

Qui est-ce qui est petit? (Is QUI EST-CE QUI a person or a thing?).

Qu’est-ce qui te manque?

I don’t understand how to know whether this refers to a person (WHOM do you miss) or to a thing (WHAT are you missing).

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