extrañar
/eɡstɾaˈɲaɾ/
The Spanish phrase to miss is extrañar.
extrañar is used to express the sadness felt because you are no longer with a person or in a place. In many Latin American countries, saying te extraño is the standard way to express that you miss someone.
Which one should you use?
While extrañar is a common way to express this feeling, you can also use the phrase echar de menos to say 'to miss' someone or something. If you want to express a particularly strong sense of longing or yearning, the more formal word añorar is used.
Is it said differently in some regions?
extrañar is more frequently used in Latin America, whereas echar de menos is generally preferred in Spain.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the verb with a direct object pronoun such as te (you), you will often see the pronoun attached to the end of the infinitive as a single word, such as extrañarte.
How do you pronounce it?
/eɡstɾaˈɲaɾ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use perder to mean 'to miss a person.' In Spanish, perder is reserved for missing an object, a bus or an opportunity.
Did you know?
- While extrañar means 'to miss' in Latin America, in Spain it is more commonly used to mean 'to find something strange' or 'to be surprised by' something.
- The phrase echar de menos literally translates to 'to throw of less', a construction that shares no logical linguistic root with the English concept of 'missing' someone.
- The verb extrañar actually shares its roots with the English word 'strange'.
Examples in context
- Te voy a extrañar.I am going to miss you.This sentence demonstrates how to use extrañar to say you will miss someone.Tatoeba #1246313 by marcelostockle, translation #431891 by jerom
- La voy a extrañar.I'm going to miss her.This sentence shows how to use extrañar to say you will miss her.Tatoeba #8769531 by SemperAutumnus, translation #3911944 by CH
- Yo también te voy a extrañar.I'm going to miss you, too.This sentence shows how to use extrañar to say you will miss someone too.Tatoeba #1841795 by hayastan, translation #1841635 by CK
- Echo de menos a mi familia.I miss my family.
- Te extraño.I miss you.
- Extraño mi ciudad natal.I miss my hometown.
- Añoro mi infancia.I miss my childhood.
- Te echo de menos, tíoI miss you, dude
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and Lucía are saying goodbye at the airport.
- AlejandroLucía, te voy a extrañar mucho.Lucía, I am going to miss you a lot.
- LucíaYo también te voy a extrañar, Alejandro.I am going to miss you too, Alejandro.
- AlejandroLlámame cuando llegues a casa.Call me when you get home.
- LucíaLo haré, te quiero mucho.I will, I love you very much.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry extrañar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries extrañar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
