Los extraño
/los eɡstɾaɲo/from spelling rules
In Spanish, the phrase 'I miss them' is translated as Los extraño.
The phrase is used to express a feeling of sadness because you are no longer with people you care about. You can increase the intensity of this feeling by saying Los extraño un montón (I miss them a lot) or Los extraño tanto (I miss them so much).
Which one should you use?
While Los extraño is more common in Latin American Spanish, you may encounter Los echo de menos in Spain to convey the same sentiment.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Los extraño is more common in Latin American Spanish.
How does it change in a sentence?
The pronoun used depends on the gender of the people you are missing. If the people being missed are all female, you must use the feminine direct object pronoun Las instead of Los, resulting in Las extraño.
How do you pronounce it?
/los eɡstɾaɲo/
Did you know?
- The phrase echo de menos used in Spain literally translates to 'I throw of less', a construction that makes little sense when translated word for word.
- The verb extrañar literally means 'to find something strange' or 'to treat as a stranger'.
- The word extraño shares the same root as the English word 'strange', as both stem from the Latin 'extraneus', meaning 'outside' or 'foreign'.
Examples in context
- Desde que se fueron, los echo de menos en cada ocasión especial.Since they left, I miss them on every special occasion.
- Los extraño mucho.I miss them a lot.
- Los extraño desde que se fueron.I miss them since they left.
- A veces los extraño.Sometimes I miss them.
Example conversation
Elena and Alejandro are talking about Elena's old roommates.
- Elena¿Cómo están tus antiguos compañeros?How are your old roommates?
- AlejandroEstán bien, pero los extraño.They are fine, but I miss them.
- ElenaEs normal sentir eso.It is normal to feel that.
- AlejandroSí, los extraño cada día.Yes, I miss them every day.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries extraño, los, CC BY-SA 4.0.
