French grammar - More impersonal verbs - rester and manquer

More impersonal verbs - rester & manquer

Two more very useful impersonal verbs are rester and manquer.

Both are regular -ER verbs.

• rester means 'to remain' or 'to have (something) left'

• manquer means 'to miss' or 'to lack' or 'to be short of'

Both of these verbs can take both a direct and indirect object.

-- So we can say 'someone (indirect) lacks something (direct)' or 'something (direct) remains for someone (indirect)'.

Note that both of these verbs can also be used normally - conjugated for the first, second and third person - though the meanings are different.

-- The many permutations of the verb manquer will be covered in a later topic.

-- The verb rester means 'to stay' or 'to remain' when not used impersonally. For example Je reste à la maison ce week-end.

Examples:
	Il reste deux tomates. There are two tomatoes left. Or 'There remain two tomatoes'
	Il me reste dix euros. I have ten euros left. Or 'There remain for me ten euros'
	Reste-t-il des pommes ? Are there any apples left?
	Il ne reste pas de pain. There is no bread left.
	Il me reste assez de temps. I have enough time left.
	Il reste trente minutes avant le décollage d'avion. There are thirty minutes left before the takeoff of the plane. décollage (f) means 'take off' avion (m) means 'aeroplane' or 'airplane'
	Il manque un cinquième couvert à la table. A fifth place setting is missing at the table. cinqième means 'fifth' couvert (m) means '(table) place setting'
	Il manque des pages dans ce livre. There are pages missing from this book.
	Il manque encore dix euros. There are still ten euros missing.
	Il nous manque de la farine. We are short of flour.
	C'est tout ce qui reste. That's all that is left.
	Voilà tout ce qui me reste. Here is all I have left.
	Il ne manque pas d'un certain charme. It does not lack a certain charm. charme (m) means 'charm'
	Il ne manque pas un bouton de guêtre. An idiom meaning 'Everything is where it belongs.' Literally 'A gaiter button is not lacking.'