Nos falta???

[BobRitter]

En un video de Yabla la mujer dice:
Una blusa. Nos falta una blusa, lentes............
A blouse. We need a blouse, glasses........

Pero:
Nos hace falta una blusa.
Faltamos una blusa.
Nosotros faltamos una blusa.

Como siempre, gracias a todos. Bob, Pensacola Florida, USA

[Rusty]

When the verb falta is used with an indirect object, it is translated as 'need' because of one's 'lack' of it.

nos falta (we need, because we lack) una blusa

In 'nos hace falta', the verb is hacer falta. When there's an indirect object, this is translated as 'somebody needs something'.
So, there is no difference in translation between 'nos falta algo' and 'nos hace falta algo'.

When faltar is not used with an indirect object, it is translated as 'missing'.

Faltamos una blusa. (We are missing a blouse.)

Other than the emphasis you're giving the subject, there's no difference between 'faltamos' and 'nosotros faltamos'.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

It might be a regional use, but I wouldn't say "faltamos una blusa"; for me, the verb faltar is not transitive. :thinking:

Ayer faltamos a la escuela.
We skipped school yesterday. -> We are the ones who didn't go, not the school.

Nos falta la escuela.
The school is a pending business. -> We need to do some activity in school.

Nos hace falta la escuela.
We are missing school. -> We experience a certain nostalgia for going to school or we aren't educated enough, so we need more of it.

[Rusty]

I think it is regional. I've seen it used that way.

Looking at reputable sources, I see that you are right, AdA. The verb is intransitive.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Thank you, Rusty. I've probably heard it used like that too, but it is still weird for me. :)

[aleCcowaN]

"Faltamos una blusa" is agramatical in Spanish. It's Galician or Astur-Leonese.

[BobRitter]

EUREKA!!! Pienso que entender.
Me falta esta blusa. I need this blouse. This blouse is missing to me.
Me gusta esta blusa. I like this blouse. This blouse is pleasing to me.
Me faltan estas blusas. I need these blouses. These blouses are missing to me.
Me gustan estas blusas. I like these blouses. These blouses are pleasing to me.

The subjects are "esta blusa", "estas blusas" and the verbs are gustar/faltar.

Probably not perfect but I think it's close.

Como siempre, gracias.

[Hiperbólico]

Yes, Bob! That's the same connection I made.

I feel as though I hear both se le falta algo (a una persona) and se falta algo (una persona) among the native speakers I know. The former is correct I think; the latter is non-standard. I think heritage speakers familiar with English are especially vulnerable to this mistake, since the equivalent translation entails a transitive verb.

I'll admit I've done this. :o

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

@Bob: You got the structure right. The verb's subject are the blouses (or the items you're talking about) and the pronoun "me" (or the equivalent for other persons) is the indirect object; that is, their relation with me. :)

@Hiperbólico: Oh no.
If you want to write the infinitive form of this verb, you must say "faltarle algo a alguien". You cannot use "se" because this is not a pronominal particle, but an indirect object pronoun; that is why it is "le" for the third person singular.
As for the "a", it must be always included, because it introduces the indirect object.
"Le falta una blusa Juan" is never heard instead of "le falta una blusa a Juan".

[Hiperbólico]

If you want to write the infinitive form of this verb, you must say "faltarle algo a alguien".

Whoops. Yes, thank you for the correction. For some reason, I intended to use the impersonal se to construct a general format for this verb, but I guess that is neither correct nor appropriate! So, the infinitive constructions would be...

:good: faltarle algo (a alguien)
:bad: (alguien) faltar algo

The second line represents a solecism, where faltar is mistakenly treated as a transitive verb whose direct object is the algo that's "missing".

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Right. "Se" doesn't match the infinitive here because it's just an IO, not a pronominal construction.

Indirect Object:

- Gustarle algo a alguien.
· Me gustan las flores. -> The flowers are the subject and the IO is me.

- Traerle algo a alguien.
· ¿Roberto te trajo chocolates? -> The chocolates are the OD and "you" is the IO.

- Comprarle algo a alguien.
· Niños, ¿quién les compró dulces? -> The candy is the OD and the children are the IO.



Pronominal verbs:

- Olvidársele algo a alguien. -> Involuntary event "se".
· Se me olvidó el libro en casa.
It happened to me that I forgot the book at home.

- Comerse algo alguien. -> Emphasis "se"
· Me comí todas las galletas.
I ate all of the cookies. All of them. Alone.

- Lavarse (alguien). -> Reflexive "se"
· ¿Te lavaste las manos?
Did you wash your hands?