Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| te extraño | /te eɡstɾaɲo/ (from spelling rules) |
| te echo de menos | /te ˌet͡ʃo de ˈmenos/ |
Both phrases are used to express the feeling of missing someone, but your choice of words often depends on which part of the Spanish-speaking world you are in.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase te echo de menos is an idiom that literally translates to "I throw you of less".
Which one should you use?
te extraño is the most common way to express this sentiment in Latin America, whereas te echo de menos is the most common way to say it in Spain.
Is it said differently in some regions?
te extraño is favored in Latin America and te echo de menos is favored in Spain.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrases provided use the informal pronoun te. If you are addressing someone formally (using usted), you should change te to lo or la (for example, lo extraño). If you are talking to a group of people, change te to los or las (for example, los extraño).
How do you pronounce it?
/te eɡstɾaɲo/
Did you know?
- Writing hecho instead of echo in the phrase te echo de menos is a common spelling mistake that changes the meaning to 'done'.
- The word extraño in the phrase te extraño shares the same Latin root as the English word 'strange'.
- The verb extrañar can also mean 'to find something strange' or 'to be surprised by something'.
Examples in context
- Te echo de menos.I miss you.This sentence is useful for the phrase te echo de menos.Tatoeba #454574 by Shishir, translation #1308 by brauliobezerra
- Tom, te echo de menos.I miss you, Tom.This sentence shows how to use te echo de menos when addressing someone by name.Tatoeba #2011041 by Shishir, translation #1887572 by CK
- Te extraño cuando no estás acá.I miss you when you're not here.This sentence shows the use of te extraño in a longer context.Tatoeba #1646718 by hayastan, translation #1329779 by CK
- 14 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elena and Daniel are talking on the phone while Daniel is traveling.
- ElenaHola, Daniel. Te extraño mucho.Hello, Daniel. I miss you a lot.
- DanielYo también te extraño, Elena.I miss you too, Elena.
- Elena¿Cuándo vas a volver?When are you coming back?
- DanielVuelvo muy pronto, lo prometo.I'll be back very soon, I promise.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I miss you” translations and entries te echo de menos, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, echo, extraño, menos, te, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
