Plaire à and manquer à
Ça me plaît, tu me manques
Plaire and manquer work "backwards" compared with English: the thing that is liked or missed is the subject, and the person is the indirect object.
Plaire à = to be pleasing to (to like)
- Ce film me plaît.I like this film. (literally: this film pleases me)
- Paris plaît beaucoup aux touristes.Tourists really like Paris.
- Ces chaussures te plaisent ?Do you like these shoes?
- Elle lui plaît.He likes her. (she pleases him)
The verb agrees with the thing liked: Ce livre me plaît / Ces livres me plaisent.
- S'il vous plaîtplease (literally: if it pleases you)
Manquer à = to be missed by
- Tu me manques.I miss you. (you are missing to me)
- Mes parents me manquent.I miss my parents.
- Je lui manque.He/She misses me.
- Paris nous manque.We miss Paris.
Turn the English sentence around: I miss you* → Tu me manques.* The person who is missed is the subject.
Other meanings of manquer
- J'ai manqué le train.I missed the train. (= rater)
- Il manque du sel.There's not enough salt.
- Il me manque dix euros.I'm ten euros short.
Plaire vs aimer
Aimer is more general and works like English: J'aime ce film. Plaire often expresses first impressions or attraction: Ça me plaît bien.
Practice
- I miss you.Options: Tu me manques. · Je te manque. · Je manque toi.
Show the answer
Tu me manques.
- She misses her brother.Options: Son frère lui manque. · Elle manque son frère. · Elle lui manque son frère.
Show the answer
Son frère lui manque.
- Do you like this dress?Options: Cette robe te plaît ? · Tu plais cette robe ? · Tu te plais cette robe ?
Show the answer
Cette robe te plaît ?
- Ces chaussures me _____.Options: plaisent · plaît · plais
Show the answer
plaisent
In the app, this lesson is taught one idea at a time with the examples read aloud, followed by questions that explain the rule when you get one wrong. It then comes back for review on later days until you've mastered it.