te extraño
/te eɡstɾaɲo/from spelling rules
te extraño is the Spanish way to say "I miss you".
This phrase is used to tell someone that you feel sadness because they are not with you.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the object pronoun te (you) and the first-person singular present indicative of extrañar (I miss).
Which one should you use?
While te extraño is more common in Latin America, te echo de menos is a common alternative used primarily in Spain.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Te extraño is the more common choice in Latin America, whereas te echo de menos is frequently used in Spain.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express missing someone other than the person you are talking to, you can replace the informal te with lo or la to say "I miss him" or "I miss her" (lo extraño / la extraño). To change the level of intimacy to a formal "you", use le extraño.
How do you pronounce it?
/te eɡstɾaɲo/
Did you know?
- In Spain, the common alternative te echo de menos literally means 'I throw you less', though it is used to express missing someone.
- Depending on the region, saying te extraño can be interpreted as 'I miss you' or as a comment that the other person is acting weird.
- The verb extrañar can also be used to express surprise or disbelief, such as saying me extraña que to mean 'it surprises me that'.
Examples in context
- Te extraño mucho, mi amorI miss you a lot, my love
- Me haces falta, hermanitoI miss you, little brother
- Extraño nuestras conversaciones nocturnasI miss our late-night conversations.
- Me haces falta en las reuniones familiaresI miss you at family gatherings.
- Te extraño mucho, mi amor.I miss you a lot, my love.
- Aunque estés lejos, te extraño.Even though you are far away, I miss you.
- Cada día te extraño más.Every day I miss you more.
Example conversation
Daniel and Elena are talking on a video call.
- DanielHola Elena, te extraño mucho.Hello Elena, I miss you a lot.
- ElenaYo también te extraño, Daniel.I miss you too, Daniel.
- Daniel¿Cuándo vas a volver?When are you coming back?
- ElenaMuy pronto, te lo prometo.Very soon, I promise you.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
