Why Faltar Is More Than "To Lack"
Faltar is the verb of what is missing, how much is left, and what you skip. It works like gustar: the missing thing is the subject (so it agrees with it), and the person who lacks it takes an indirect pronoun. That is why you hear me falta tiempo and me faltan ganas.
Learn these six patterns as whole chunks and you will talk about gaps, deadlines, and absences without translating word by word.
Pattern 1: Me falta… — "I'm missing / I lack…"
Use it for anything you are short of: money, time, an ingredient, or experience. Make the verb singular or plural to match the thing, and put the person in the indirect pronoun.
- Me falta tiempo. — I don't have enough time.
- Me faltan diez euros. — I'm ten euros short.
- Le falta experiencia. — He lacks experience.
Chunk to learn:
Me falta(n) + [thing] / Le falta + [thing]
Pattern 2: Falta poco — "It's almost time"
Without a pronoun, falta counts what remains: time, distance, or steps. It is the natural reply to "are we there yet?" and works with para for the target.
- Falta poco. — It won't be long now.
- ¿Falta mucho para llegar? — Is it much further to get there?
- Faltan cinco minutos para las ocho. — It's five minutes to eight.
Chunk to learn:
Falta poco / ¿Falta mucho para + [infinitive]? / Faltan + [time] + para…
Pattern 3: Faltar a… — "To miss / skip"
With a, faltar means to be absent from a place or event: class, work, or a meeting. It is the verb of school notes and workplace excuses.
- Hoy falté al trabajo. — I missed work today.
- No faltes a clase mañana. — Don't miss class tomorrow.
- Faltó a la reunión. — He missed the meeting.
Chunk to learn:
Faltar a + [clase / trabajo / la reunión]
Pattern 4: Faltar al respeto — "To be disrespectful"
A fixed phrase for crossing a line. Use it when someone insults you or ignores your role, and add no me faltes to warn them.
- No me faltes al respeto. — Don't be disrespectful to me.
- Le faltó al respeto a su profesora. — He was disrespectful to his teacher.
- Eso es una falta de respeto. — That is disrespectful.
Chunk to learn:
Faltar al respeto / Una falta de respeto
Pattern 5: ¡Lo que faltaba! — "That's the last straw!"
A sigh of frustration when one more problem arrives. The longer form solo faltaba que plus the subjunctive says "that would be the final straw". For more on the subjunctive, see Subjunctive Chunks.
- ¡Lo que faltaba! — That's all I needed!
- Solo faltaba que se fuera la luz. — The only thing missing was the power going out.
- Pues no faltaba más. — Of course, it's no trouble at all.
Chunk to learn:
¡Lo que faltaba! / Solo faltaba que + [subjunctive] / No faltaba más
Pattern 6: No hace falta — "There's no need"
Not a form of faltar, but it uses its noun: falta. Hacer falta means to be needed. Use it to say what is necessary and, with no, to politely wave something off.
- No hace falta que vengas. — There's no need for you to come.
- Me hace falta ayuda. — I need help.
- Hace falta paciencia. — Patience is needed.
Chunk to learn:
No hace falta (que + subjunctive) / Me hace falta + [thing]
Faltar vs. Hacer falta
Faltar says something is absent: Falta sal. Hacer falta says it is necessary: Hace falta sal. The first notices the gap, the second states the need. For another verb with an indirect pronoun, see [Importar] Chunks.
Start with me falta tiempo and no hace falta. You will use both the next time you speak Spanish.
This post is part of the Spanish Chunk Series — a growing collection of chunk patterns for natural Spanish.