verbverb

manquer

miss

Ne pas avoir quelque chose ou quelqu’un qu’on voudrait, ou ne pas réussir à faire quelque chose.

The French verb "manquer" generally means "to miss" or "to lack." It can describe both the absence of something or the feeling of longing for someone or something that is not present.

Basic meanings:

To miss: Used when someone feels sadness or regret about the absence of a person or thing. For example, "Il me manque" translates to "I miss him/her."
To lack: Used to indicate the absence or insufficiency of something. For instance, "Il manque des ingrédients" means "There are missing ingredients."

Synonyms and differences:

Rater: Means "to miss" in the sense of failure to catch something, such as missing an event or an opportunity (e.g., "J'ai raté le train" - "I missed the train"). This has a more connotation of incapacity or accident, while "manquer" often implies emotional aspects.
Absence: Not a direct synonym, but indicates the state of not being present. "Absence" can be a noun that reflects the quality of "missing" something, but it lacks the emotional nuance present in "manquer."
Défaillir: Meaning "to fail" or "to be lacking," shares some abstract meanings, but it refers more to failing an obligation or falling short in performance.

Overall, "manquer" has layers that are specific to emotional conditions and the absence of things, while its synonyms might grasp more on particular situations of failure or straightforward absence.