falta

Falta is a term used in several Romance languages, most prominently Spanish and Portuguese, with related meanings tied to absence, lack, deficiency, or fault, and it also occurs in phrases that refer to infractions or missing elements. The related verb faltar means to be missing, to lack, or to fail to attend.

In Spanish, falta commonly denotes absence or shortage, as in falta de recursos (resources are lacking) or falta de tiempo (time is short). It can also mean a fault or offense, especially in sports, where cometer una falta means to commit a foul. In legal and administrative contexts, una falta can refer to a minor offense or administrative infraction. The expression a falta de, or a falta de algo, means “in the absence of” or “lacking.”

In Portuguese, falta is used similarly to indicate lack or absence, as in falta de água. It also designates a foul or infringement in sports, and is used in legal terms to describe infractions. The verb faltar is used in everyday speech to indicate someone is missing or something is due or lacking, as in Faltam dois minutos or ele faltou à reunião.

In other Romance languages like Catalan and Galician, falta carries parallel meanings of absence and fault. In Italian, by contrast, the common equivalents are mancanza or difetto, and falta is not standard Italian.