Spanish word

faltar

Pronunciation

IPA/falˈtaɾ/

Meaning

  • verblack

Example

Me falta dinero para el viaje.

I lack money for the trip.

Illustration for faltar (lack)

More examples

Hace falta calma para pensar con claridad.

Calm is needed to think clearly.

Core concept

An unfilled gap in a checklist.

Common phrases

  • hace falta más tiempo

    need more time

  • faltar poco para terminar

    be close to finishing

  • me faltan ganas

    lack the motivation

Similar words

hacer falta: A needed person or thing is not present and is experienced as lacking.
necesitar: Someone or something requires a specific thing to carry out an action.

Definition in Spanish

Señala que algo falta o que hace falta para que una situación se complete; puede indicar ausencia, insuficiencia o la necesidad de realizar una acción (por ejemplo 'me falta estudiar').

Word origin

Faltar derives from Latin fallere via Old Romance forms and carries the notion of failing or defect into the meaning of something being missing or needed.

Usage tips

  • In impersonal constructions the missing thing is the grammatical subject and the affected person appears as an indirect object, so verb agreement follows what is missing.

Other meanings

  • be absentverb
  • remainverb

Opposites

Related words

  • faltalacknoun
  • faltantemissing partnoun

Word lists with this word