Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| te extraño | /te eɡstɾaɲo/ (from spelling rules) |
| te echo de menos | /te ˌet͡ʃo de ˈmenos/ |
Both te extraño and te echo de menos are used to express that you miss someone. While they carry the same meaning, their usage is often determined by the region you are in.
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 American Spanish, whereas te echo de menos is the more common way to say it in Spain.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Latin American countries, you can say Te extraño mucho or Te extraño un montón to mean "I miss you a lot." In Spain, the phrase Te echo de menos un montón is used to say "I miss you a ton."
How does it change in a sentence?
In both phrases, te is the informal singular direct object pronoun for "you." If you are addressing a group of people informally in Spain, you should use os extraño instead of te extraño.
How do you pronounce it?
/te eɡstɾaɲo/
Did you know?
Examples in context
- Te echo de menos.I miss you.This sentence is useful for saying "I miss you."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.Tatoeba #1646718 by hayastan, translation #1329779 by CK
- Te extraño cada día másI miss you more every day
- Te echo de menos desde que te fuisteI've missed you since you left
- Me haces falta, te echo de menosI need you, I miss you
- Bien, pero te echo de menos.I'm fine, but I miss you.
- También te extraño mucho, amigo.I miss you a lot too, my friend.
- 14 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and Sofía are talking on the phone after a long distance trip.
- JavierHola, Sofía. Te extraño mucho.Hello, Sofía. I miss you a lot.
- SofíaYo también te extraño, Javier.I miss you too, Javier.
- Javier¿Cuándo vas a volver?When are you coming back?
- 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.
