# I missed seeing you last night



## Grefsen

My new friend from the Czech Republic has been taking classes at a school where I am also taking some classes.  She wasn't in her class last night and I was wondering how I might write the following, or something close to this, in *čeština**:*

I missed seeing you at (the) school last night.

Here's my attempt:

Stýskalo se mi po vás viděl ve škole v noci.


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## Enquiring Mind

The natives are not replying, Grefsen, so I'll give it a go.
I'm afraid the various online translation machines are really bad  at grammar, and the version it came up with in your post doesn't make sense.  
_Stýskat se_ does mean _to miss_, but it isn't used in the sense in which you're using "miss" in English.

I would say (but I'm not a native ) "Bylo mi líto, že jsi včera večer ve škole nebyla."


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## Grefsen

Děkuju Ti, za vaši pomoc, *Enquiring Mind.* 


Enquiring Mind said:


> The natives are not replying, Grefsen, so I'll give it a go.
> I'm afraid the various online translation machines are really bad  at grammar, and the version it came up with in your post doesn't make sense.
> _Stýskat se_ does mean _to miss_, but it isn't used in the sense in which you're using "miss" in English.


I take it then that this might be more appropriate to use if the person was much more than just a friend. 


Enquiring Mind said:


> I would say (but I'm not a native ) "Bylo mi líto, že jsi včera večer ve škole nebyla."


Would a possible translation of this be "I'm sorry you weren't in school last night"?


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## Enquiring Mind

Yep, you got it, though a nitpicker would argue that it's "I *was* sorry you weren't ...."

Two things ran through my mind when reading your original post. 

First (this point is mainly for the benefit of Czech learners of English on the forum): the English "... missed seeing you..." _could_ mean I was there, you were there, but somehow we missed [didn't see] each other - "nějak jsme se minuli".  However you explained that the other person wasn't, in fact, there. 

Second, as you also correctly noted, the degree of familiarity/closeness is important in deciding which construction to use.  Your attempt using *vás* is the polite *vy* form. In my version, the use of* jsi *indicates that you are, at least, on familiar terms and have spoken before, and would be using "ty" forms. I guessed that "I was sorry you weren't there", "I was sorry not to see you" was about the right sort of meaning.

If you're on closer terms with someone (friendly camaraderie, not necessarily romantic, though it could also be) you might use the verb *postrádat. *
*Postrádali* jsme tě včera ve škole - we missed you in school yesterday. (Non-romantic, in the sense that we are in the same class, but it wasn't so lively without you.)
*Postrádal* jsem tě, kdepak ses toulala?  I've missed you, where have you been?  

Then, in the same sort of familiarity context and meaning as _*postrádat*_, there are the verbs _*chybět *_and_* scházet*_ _*(komu?), *_both used with the dative (3rd) case as in these examples:
Chybíš nám - we miss you, we're missing you (as used in this story from Blesk - schoolmates of an 11-year-old who hanged himself say they miss him)
Strašně moc mi chybíš - I really miss you, I miss you terribly (romantic context)
Zase mi scházíš čím dál víc, žít bez tebe neumím = I'm missing you again more and more, I can't live without you. (Words to a song here) 

Then, in a definitely romantic or _yearning_ sort of context, there is the *stýskat se (komu po kom/čem?*) construction, used like this.
Stýská se mi po tobě - I miss you 
Moc se mi po ní stýská - I really miss her

And there is also the  "yearning" or "longing for" sense as in these sleeve notes about Dvořák's Cello Concerto "... život v New Yorku už Dvořákovi nepřinášel tolik potěšení jako v  předchozích dvou letech, stýskalo se mu po dětech a po Vysoké, z domova  navíc přicházely znepokojivé zprávy o beznadějném zdravotním stavu Josefiny Kounicové ..."
"Dvořák was no longer finding life in New York as enjoyable as in the previous two years, he was missing his children and Vysoká, and there was also worrying news from home about the desperate state of health of Josefina Kounicová ..."

There are also a couple of earlier forum threads which might help, here and here.

Then, for English learners of Czech, there are pages you might find useful in this sort of context here, here and here.


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## Grefsen

Ještě jednou, děkuju ti za vaši pomoc. 


Enquiring Mind said:


> Yep, you got it, though a nitpicker would argue that it's "I *was* sorry you weren't ...."
> 
> Two things ran through my mind when reading your original post.
> 
> First (this point is mainly for the benefit of Czech learners of English on the forum): the English "... missed seeing you..." _could_ mean I was there, you were there, but somehow we missed [didn't see] each other - "nějak jsme se minuli". However you explained that the other person wasn't, in fact, there.


Thanks for clarifying this point. 


Enquiring Mind said:


> Second, as you also correctly noted, the degree of familiarity/closeness is important in deciding which construction to use. Your attempt using *vás* is the polite *vy* form. In my version, the use of* jsi *indicates that you are, at least, on familiar terms and have spoken before, and would be using "ty" forms. I guessed that "I was sorry you weren't there", "I was sorry not to see you" was about the right sort of meaning.


Yes, it was.


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## kacerka

It's quite difficult to translate it so that the sentence sounds natural so maybe that's why no native speaker has replied yet . I would suggest: *Škoda, že jsi/jste včera večer nebyla ve škole. Uvidím Vás/Tě příště?* (It's a pity you weren't at school yesterday, am I going to see you next time?) or *Mrzí mě, že jsem Vás/ Tě včera večer neviděl ve škole. Přijdete/Přijdeš příští týden?* (I'm sorry I didn't see you at school yesterday evening. Are you coming next week? ). In Czech it feels like you should say one more sentence after saying you missed her otherwise it sounds a bit weird. 
Enquiring mind is right don't use "stýskalo se mi po Vás" - unless you want to say you're in love with her - we use this structure for close friends, family and our lovers .


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## Tchesko

I confirm I would also consider using the expression "Škoda, že..." ("It's a pity that...") in this context, rather than the more romantic/dramatic verbs mentioned above.


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## Grefsen

kacerka said:


> Enquiring mind is right don't use "stýskalo se mi po Vás" - unless you want to say you're in love with her - we use this structure for close friends, family and our lovers .





Tchesko said:


> I confirm I would also consider using the expression "Škoda, že..." ("It's a pity that...") in this context, rather than the more romantic/dramatic verbs mentioned above.


Thank you so much for your replies *kacerka *and* Tchesko.  *You may have saved me from getting into some trouble with the boyfriend of my new Czech friend.


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