Fazer Falta in Portuguese: Say Someone or Something Is Missing
Fazer falta describes the effect of someone's absence or something you need. Compare it with sentir falta de to choose a natural sentence.
Real Life Portuguese · 5 min read · Updated October 14, 2026
The short answer
Fazer falta means to be missed, be absent in a noticeable way, or be needed. The person or thing that is missing is the subject: Você faz falta aqui means “You are missed here.” The person who feels the absence can be added with para or a pronoun such as me.
Use fazer falta to describe an absence that matters
The verb fazer agrees with that subject. One person or thing faz falta; plural things fazem falta. This pattern is useful for people, objects, support, and other things whose absence has an effect.
Você faz falta nas nossas conversas.
You’re missed in our conversations.
Sua ajuda fez falta na mudança.
Your help was missed during the move.
Esses documentos fazem falta para terminar o cadastro.
Those documents are needed to finish the registration.
Compare fazer falta with sentir falta de
Sentir falta de puts the feeling first: Sinto falta de você means “I miss you.” Fazer falta puts the effect of the absence first: Você faz falta para mim means “I miss you” or “Your absence matters to me.” Both can be natural; the emphasis changes.
Do not translate English “I miss” word for word with perder. Perder usually means to lose or miss an event, while sentir falta de and fazer falta express emotional or practical absence.
Sinto falta de morar perto da praia.
I miss living near the beach.
A cadeira vazia faz falta na sala.
The missing chair leaves a gap in the room.
Perdi o ônibus das oito.
I missed the eight o’clock bus.
Put it into practice
Use sentir falta de to foreground who feels the longing and fazer falta to foreground the person or thing whose absence is felt or whose presence is needed.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “You’re missed in our conversations”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
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