faltar
verbo intransitivo
1 (no haber suficiente)
faltan profesores there aren't enough teachers; a la sopa le falta sal there isn't enough salt in the soup; faltan viviendas asequibles there is a shortage of affordable housing; faltan dos sillas we are two chairs short
faltar algo a algn
le falta todavía un impreso you still need another form; ¿te falta dinero? do you need any money?
nos falta tiempo para hacerlo we don't have enough time to do it; te faltan dos centímetros para poder ser policía you're two centimetres too short to be a policeman; no le falta valor he doesn't lack courage
¡lo que (me) faltaba! that's all I needed!
¡no faltaba o faltaría más! (no hay de qué) don't mention it!; (naturalmente) of course!; (¡ni hablar!) certainly not!; no way! (familiar)
¡no faltaba más que eso!
¡lo que faltaba!
(¡es el colmo!) that's the last straw!; (¡ni hablar!) certainly not!; no way! (familiar)es mejor que sobre que no que falte better to have too much than too little
2 (no estar) to be missing
faltan varios libros del estante there are several books missing from the shelf; faltan 20 euros de la caja there are 20 euros missing from the till; me falta un bolígrafo one of my pens is missing; faltaba de su casa desde hacía un mes he had been missing for a month; ¿quién falta? who's missing?; who's not here?; no podemos irnos, falta Manolo we can't go, Manolo isn't here yet
no faltar
un desayuno en el que no faltan los huevos y el beicon a breakfast which doesn't fail to include eggs and bacon; un partido en el que no faltaron goles a match which was not short of goals; no falta ninguno de los ingredientes de la novela policíaca all of the ingredients of the detective novel are present; no falta quien opina que ... there are those who think that ...
3 (no ir)
no he faltado ni una sola vez a las reuniones I haven't missed a single meeting; faltaron tres personas a la reunión there were three people missing o absent from the meeting; ¡no faltaré! I'll be there!
faltar a una cita (de negocios) to miss an appointment; not to turn up for an appointment; (con amigo) not to turn up for a date
faltar a clase to miss school
faltar al trabajo to be off work
nunca falta al trabajo he's never off work
4 (quedar)
falta todavía bastante por hacer there is still quite a lot to be done; quite a lot remains to be done
falta mucho todavía there's plenty of time to go yet
¿falta mucho? is there long to go?; ¿te falta mucho? will you be long?
faltar para algo
faltan tres semanas para las elecciones there are three weeks to go to the election; the election is three weeks off; faltan cinco minutos para que comience la representación the performance will begin in five minutes; faltan cinco para las siete (Latinoamérica) it's five to seven
falta poco para las ocho it's nearly eight o'clock; it's getting on for eight o'clock
falta poco para que termine el partido the match is almost over o finished
5 (estar a punto de)
faltó poco para que lo pillara un coche he was very nearly run down by a car; le faltaba poco para decírselo she was about to tell him
6 (insultar)
¡sin faltar!, ¿eh? keep it polite, right?; faltar a algn (ofender) to offend sb; (ser infiel a) to be unfaithful to sb; (no apoyar) to fail sb; faltar a algn al respeto to be rude to sb; be disrespectful to sb
