How to Say “I Miss You” in Italian: Mi Manchi and More!
Do you miss your Italian-speaking friend? Let them know, in Italian!
The Italian way to say “I miss you” is a little backwards from the English, so it’s worth taking some time to learn the nuances.
Read on to see how to tell someone you miss them in Italian, learn how to correctly use the verb Mancare (to miss) and even some more poetic ways to express your longing.
Whether you’re texting your friend or writing a letter to your loved one, you’ll be able to say “I miss you” in Italian with confidence!
Contents
- “I Miss You” in Italian: Mi Manchi
- More Ways to Express Longing in Italian
- Responding to “I Miss You” in Italian
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“I Miss You” in Italian: Mi Manchi
Mi manchi is the Italian phrase for “I miss you.” It’s a straightforward and commonly used expression to convey that you’re thinking about someone in their absence. The literal translation is “You are missing to me,” reflecting the focus on the person who is missed.
For example: Mi manchi molto da quando sei partito / partita . (I miss you a lot since you left.)
How to Use Mancare
Mancare is an Italian verb with a unique twist—it doesn’t translate directly to “to miss,” but rather, it conveys the idea that someone is missed. This means that in Italian, you say that the person being missed is the one who is “missing.”
This means that the person who’s missed is the subject of the sentence, while the one who is missing is the indirect object. Use mancare by starting the sentence with the person who is missed, followed by the verb and the person who is missing.
Mancare is conjugated according to the person who is missed. Here are the different conjugations:
- Io manco (I am missed) → Io manco a mia madre. (My mother misses me. Literally: I am missed by my mother.)
- Tu manchi (You are missed) → Tu mi manchi tanto. (I miss you a lot. Literally: You are missed by me a lot.)
- Lui / lei manca (He/she is missed) → Lei manca ai suoi amici. (Her friends miss her. Literally: She is missed by her friends.)
- Noi manchiamo (We are missed) → Noi manchiamo alla nostra famiglia. (Our family misses us. Literally: We are missed by our family.)
- Voi mancate (You are all missed) → Voi ci mancate alle feste. (We miss you at the parties. Literally: You all are missed by us at the parties.)
- Loro mancano (They are missed) → Loro gli mancano quando sono al lavoro. (He misses them when they are at work. Literally: They are missed by him when they are at work.)
Example Sentences using mancare
- Mi manca il mio migliore amico. (I miss my best friend.)
- Ti mancano le serate insieme. (You miss our evenings together.)
- Gli manca la sua vecchia casa. (He misses his old house.)
- Ci mancano le risate con te. (We miss the laughs with you.)
- Vi mancano le vacanze estive. (You all miss the summer vacations.)
- Le mancano i suoi fratelli quando è via. (She misses her brothers when she’s away.)
- Mi manchi ogni giorno. (I miss you every day.)
- Ti manca il calore della tua città natale. (You miss the warmth of your hometown.)
- Gli manca l’odore del caffè al mattino. (He misses the smell of coffee in the morning.)
- Ci mancano le lunghe chiacchierate con voi. (We miss the long chats with you.)
More Ways to Express Longing in Italian
Longing for someone transcends languages, and Italian offers a plethora of phrases to communicate that sentiment. Beyond the direct “mi manchi,” discover various ways to express missing someone in Italian.
From yearning for their presence to wishing they were close, these phrases add depth to your emotions:
- Mi manchi da morire. (I miss you so much.)
- Vorrei tanto che fossi qui. (I wish you were here so much.)
- Non vedo l’ora di rivederti. (I can’t wait to see you again.)
- Mi manchi ogni istante. (I miss you every moment.)
- Sento la tua mancanza ogni giorno. (I miss you every day.)
- Sei sempre nei miei pensieri. (You’re always in my thoughts.)
- Desidero stringerti ancora una volta. (I wish to hold you once more.)
- La tua assenza è un vuoto nel mio cuore. (Your absence is a void in my heart.)
- La tua presenza mi manca qui. (I miss your presence here.)
- Non c’è un giorno in cui non pensi a te. (There’s not a day I don’t think of you.)
- Ti penso sempre. (You are always on my mind.)
- Il tuo ricordo mi accompagna ovunque. (Your memory accompanies me everywhere.)
- Spero di rivederti presto. (I hope to see you again soon.)
- Ogni istante senza di te è difficile. (Every moment without you is hard.)
- La distanza tra di noi mi fa sentire la tua mancanza ancora di più. (The distance between us makes me miss you even more.)
- Sei il mio pensiero costante quando sei lontano / lontana . (You’re my constant thought when you’re far away.)
- Mi manchi più di quanto posso esprimere. (I miss you more than I can express.)
- Senza di te, tutto sembra meno luminoso. (Without you, everything seems less bright.)
- Non c’è un momento in cui non desideri di essere qui con me. (There’s not a moment when I don’t wish you were here with me.)
Responding to “I Miss You” in Italian
They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. So when someone expresses that they miss you in Italian, reciprocating the sentiment can bridge the gap created by distance!
Here are some heartfelt ways to respond when someone tells you mi manchi:
- Anch’io. (Me too.)
- Anche tu sei sempre nei miei pensieri. (I miss you even more.)
- Non vedevo l’ora di sentirti dire questo. (I couldn’t wait to hear you say that.)
- Non vedo l’ora di rivederti. (I can’t wait to see you again.)
- Sei sempre nei miei pensieri. (You’re always in my thoughts.)
- Il sentimento è reciproco. (The feeling is mutual.)
- La tua assenza è difficile da sopportare. (Your absence is hard to bear.)
- Mi hai fatto sorridere dicendomi questo. (You made me smile by saying this.)
- Sento la tua mancanza ogni istante. (I miss you every moment.)
- Non c’è un momento in cui non pensi a te. (There’s not a moment when I don’t think of you.)
- La tua mancanza è reciproca. (I miss you too.)
- Sei sempre nel mio cuore, anche quando sei lontano / lontana . (You’re always in my heart, even when you’re far away.)
- Mi manchi davvero tanto. (I really miss you a lot.)
- La distanza sembra più breve quando penso a te. (The distance seems shorter when I think of you.)
- Non vedo l’ora di stringerti di nuovo. (I can’t wait to hold you again.)
- Le tue parole mi fanno sentire più vicino / a te . (Your words make me feel closer to you.)
- Il mio cuore si riempie di gioia quando ti penso. (My heart fills with joy when I think of you.)
- La tua mancanza rende speciale ogni momento insieme. (Your absence makes every moment together special.)
- Sappi che il sentimento è reciproco e profondo. (Know that the feeling is mutual and deep.)
You can learn these and more natural Italian expressions by watching the authentic videos on FluentU. This language learning program features bite-sized clips like music videos, movie trailers, commercials and other content that Italian speakers actually watch. Dual-language subtitles ensure you won’t miss a moment, so you can learn how to express your longing for your loved ones with expressions that Italian speakers actually use.
Now you can tell your loved ones that you miss them… in Italian!
