te extraño
/te eɡstɾaɲo/from spelling rules
In Spanish, there are different ways to say "I miss you" depending on the region and the person you are addressing. The default form is te extraño. Wiktionary also lists te echo de menos.
Meaning: I miss you (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| te extraño | /te eɡstɾaɲo/ (from spelling rules) |
| te echo de menos | /te ˌet͡ʃo de ˈmenos/ |
You can choose your phrasing based on whether you are in Spain or Latin America and whether you are speaking to a friend or someone you address formally.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase te echo de menos literally translates to "I throw you of less".
Which one should you use?
te extraño is the more common way to say "I miss you" in Latin America, while te echo de menos is the more common way to say it in Spain.
Is it said differently in some regions?
te extraño is primarily used in Latin America, whereas te echo de menos is more common in Spain.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word te indicates that you are addressing someone you are on informal terms with (tú). In Latin America, if you are addressing a group of people, use los extraño or las extraño.
How do you pronounce it?
/te eɡstɾaɲo/
Did you know?
- While te extraño is the standard in the Americas, using it in certain parts of Spain can sound overly dramatic or poetic, like a line from a telenovela.
- The word extraño can be used as an adjective meaning 'strange' or 'weird'. In the phrase te extraño, it is used as a verb meaning 'I miss you'.
- The word extraño in te extraño shares the same root as the English word 'strange'.
Examples in context
- Te echo de menos.I miss you.This sentence demonstrates the use of te echo de menos.Tatoeba #454574 by Shishir, translation #1308 by brauliobezerra
- Tom, te echo de menos.I miss you, Tom.Tatoeba #2011041 by Shishir, translation #1887572 by CK
- Te extraño cuando no estás acá.I miss you when you're not here.This sentence demonstrates the use of te extraño.Tatoeba #1646718 by hayastan, translation #1329779 by CK
- Estimado Sr. González, le echo de menos desde que dejó nuestra empresa.Dear Mr. González, I miss you since you left our company.
- Querida Sra. Ramírez, le extraño mucho desde nuestra última reunión.Dear Mrs. Ramírez, I miss you a lot since our last meeting.
- Hola hermano, te extraño mucho y espero verte pronto.Hey brother, I miss you a lot and hope to see you soon.
- Cariño, te echo de menos cada segundo que no estás a mi lado.Darling, I miss you every second you're not by my side.
- 14 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and Sofía are talking on the phone.
- JavierHola, Sofía. Te extraño mucho.Hello, Sofía. I miss you a lot.
- SofíaYo también te extraño, Javier.I miss you too, Javier.
- Javier¿Cuándo nos vamos a ver?When are we going to see each other?
- SofíaMuy pronto, te lo prometo.Very soon, I promise you.
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.
