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extrañar

eks-trah-NYAReɣstɾaˈɲaɾ

“extrañar” means “to miss” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

to miss

Also: to long for
VerbA1regular ar
A child sits alone on a park bench, hugging a teddy bear and looking wistfully at an empty swing set, illustrating the feeling of absence and longing.
gerundextrañando
infinitiveextrañar
past Participleextrañado

📝 In Action

Extraño mucho a mis padres cuando viajo.

A1

I miss my parents a lot when I travel.

¿Extrañas la comida de tu país?

A2

Do you miss the food from your country?

Ellos extrañaron la vieja casa de la abuela.

A2

They missed Grandma's old house.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • echar de menos (to miss (idiomatic))
  • añorar (to yearn for)

Common Collocations

  • extrañar a alguien – to miss someone
  • extrañar mi casa – to miss my home

to surprise

Also: to find strange, to be surprised (reflexive: extrañarse)
VerbB1regular ar
A character with extremely wide eyes and a dropped jaw showing intense astonishment while looking at a small, brightly colored object.
gerundextrañando
infinitiveextrañar
past Participleextrañado

📝 In Action

Me extraña que no haya llamado. Siempre es puntual.

B1

It surprises me that he hasn't called. He is always punctual.

No te extrañes si la tienda está cerrada. Hoy es feriado.

B1

Don't be surprised if the store is closed. Today is a holiday. (Reflexive usage)

Extrañamos su repentina decisión de mudarse a otro país.

C1

We found his sudden decision to move to another country strange.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • no me extraña – it doesn't surprise me
  • extrañarse de algo – to be surprised by something

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

yoextrañara/extrañase
él/ella/ustedextrañara/extrañase
túextrañaras/extrañases
vosotrosextrañarais/extrañaseis
nosotrosextrañáramos/extrañásemos
ellos/ellas/ustedesextrañaran/extrañasen

present

yoextrañe
él/ella/ustedextrañe
túextrañes
vosotrosextrañéis
nosotrosextrañemos
ellos/ellas/ustedesextrañen

indicative

imperfect

yoextrañaba
él/ella/ustedextrañaba
túextrañabas
vosotrosextrañabais
nosotrosextrañábamos
ellos/ellas/ustedesextrañaban

present

yoextraño
él/ella/ustedextraña
túextrañas
vosotrosextrañáis
nosotrosextrañamos
ellos/ellas/ustedesextrañan

preterite

yoextrañé
él/ella/ustedextrañó
túextrañaste
vosotrosextrañasteis
nosotrosextrañamos
ellos/ellas/ustedesextrañaron
View All Tenses & Moods →

🔀 Commonly Confused With

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "extrañar" in Spanish:

to miss→to surprise→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: extrañar

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses 'extrañar' to mean 'to miss'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
extraño(strange, foreign (adjective)) — Adjective
extrañeza(strangeness, surprise (noun)) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
enseñaracompañar
📚 Etymology▼

The word comes from the Latin *extraneus*, meaning 'external' or 'foreign.' This original meaning is why 'extrañar' developed two related senses: feeling something is 'foreign' or absent (to miss), and finding something 'foreign' or unusual (to be surprised).

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: estranharFrench: étranger

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'extrañar' and 'echar de menos'?

'Extrañar' and 'echar de menos' mean exactly the same thing ('to miss/to long for'). 'Echar de menos' is a common idiomatic phrase, while 'extrañar' is a single verb. Both are used frequently across the Spanish-speaking world.

How do I know if 'extrañar' means 'to miss' or 'to surprise'?

Context is key! If the sentence is about longing for someone or something, it means 'to miss.' If it is used reflexively ('me extraña,' 'te extrañas') or refers to finding a situation unusual, it means 'to surprise' or 'to find strange.' The 'to miss' meaning is far more common for A1/A2 learners.