Jon Henley
@jonhenley.bsky.social
Paris-based writer of European allsorts at the Guardian
It's a really weird construction to Anglo-Saxon ears, for sure! But sort of makes sense (even quite romantic) if you think of it as roughly "something is missing from me, and it's you..."
November 21, 2025 at 3:50 PM
It's a really weird construction to Anglo-Saxon ears, for sure! But sort of makes sense (even quite romantic) if you think of it as roughly "something is missing from me, and it's you..."
Ah but you're not! It's just a different construction. To say "Paul misses Marie" in French, you'd say "Marie manque *à* Paul" ("Marie is missing to/absent from Paul"). The "me" in "tu me manques" is basically "à moi", as in "Tu manques à moi" (which would be gramatically incorrect)
November 21, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Ah but you're not! It's just a different construction. To say "Paul misses Marie" in French, you'd say "Marie manque *à* Paul" ("Marie is missing to/absent from Paul"). The "me" in "tu me manques" is basically "à moi", as in "Tu manques à moi" (which would be gramatically incorrect)
No, "You miss me" would be "Je vous manque". The "me" in "Tu me manques" means "to me". In Italian it's Mi manchi.
November 21, 2025 at 3:31 PM
No, "You miss me" would be "Je vous manque". The "me" in "Tu me manques" means "to me". In Italian it's Mi manchi.
Not quite that brutal :) More "You are missed by me" or even "You are missing from me"... Same construction in Italian and Spanish I think
November 21, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Not quite that brutal :) More "You are missed by me" or even "You are missing from me"... Same construction in Italian and Spanish I think
A+
Excellent work, Kendall
Excellent work, Kendall
November 21, 2025 at 1:55 PM
A+
Excellent work, Kendall
Excellent work, Kendall
Very much here for this
November 21, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Very much here for this
I have that very edition, inscribed by my dad for my mum's 47th birthday ...
November 20, 2025 at 4:09 PM
I have that very edition, inscribed by my dad for my mum's 47th birthday ...
That's fascinating!
November 19, 2025 at 8:48 PM
That's fascinating!
One of my late gran's faves: you mucky pup!
November 19, 2025 at 8:13 PM
One of my late gran's faves: you mucky pup!
You always say "potter" but I somehow suspect this is not a completelyaccurate use of the verb ... :)
November 18, 2025 at 3:55 PM
You always say "potter" but I somehow suspect this is not a completelyaccurate use of the verb ... :)
That's crazy. My legacy bank (CIC) let's you raise it in their app - it's still infuriating it exists obvs, but at least you can fix it relatively easily
November 18, 2025 at 2:36 PM
That's crazy. My legacy bank (CIC) let's you raise it in their app - it's still infuriating it exists obvs, but at least you can fix it relatively easily
It is *absolutely infuriating* and *completely insane* I agree but given our moaning ain't going to make French banks change their practices, does yours not let you increase your plafond online/in its app?
November 18, 2025 at 9:44 AM
It is *absolutely infuriating* and *completely insane* I agree but given our moaning ain't going to make French banks change their practices, does yours not let you increase your plafond online/in its app?
God bless Leboncoin
November 17, 2025 at 9:24 AM
God bless Leboncoin
I think the story there is that he didn't say Brexit per se had failed, just the way it had been implemented :)
November 14, 2025 at 6:05 PM
I think the story there is that he didn't say Brexit per se had failed, just the way it had been implemented :)
Can only assume that compared to most political decisions it was such a momentous, epoch-making balls-up that acknowledging it as such would basically cast doubt on their judgement on pretty much everything :)
November 14, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Can only assume that compared to most political decisions it was such a momentous, epoch-making balls-up that acknowledging it as such would basically cast doubt on their judgement on pretty much everything :)
Such a shame. I will see whether someone in London could bring me one over! I want it with a great David Carr quote I've just come across: "Keep typing until it turns into writing."
November 14, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Such a shame. I will see whether someone in London could bring me one over! I want it with a great David Carr quote I've just come across: "Keep typing until it turns into writing."
I mean, acknowledging that something they said/did/campaigned for was a mistake is not behaviour one particularly associates with politicians in general, I'd say ...
November 14, 2025 at 5:42 PM
I mean, acknowledging that something they said/did/campaigned for was a mistake is not behaviour one particularly associates with politicians in general, I'd say ...
Real shame you can't ship to France or I would have a typewriter print like *that*. Let me know when you can!
November 14, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Real shame you can't ship to France or I would have a typewriter print like *that*. Let me know when you can!