extrañé

/ehk-strah-NYEH/

I missed

A solitary child sits sadly on a swing, gazing wistfully at the empty swing next to them, representing absence and longing.

"extrañé" (I missed). The child feels sadness because their friend, represented by the empty swing, is absent.

extrañé(verb)

A2regular ar

I missed

to feel sadness because someone or something is absent

Also:

I longed for

when the missing feeling is strong

📝 In Action

Extrañé a mi familia durante mis vacaciones.

I missed my family during my vacation.

Cuando me mudé, extrañé mucho el sol de mi ciudad.

When I moved, I really missed the sunshine of my city.

No extrañé el tráfico de la ciudad ni por un segundo.

I didn't miss the city traffic for even a second.

Word Connections

Synonyms

echar de menos (to miss (used regionally))
añorar (to long for)

Antonyms

olvidar (to forget)

Common Collocations

extrañé mucho – I missed a lot
extrañé tu presencia – I missed your presence

💡 Grammar Points

A Personal 'A'

When you miss a person (or pet), you must use the little word 'a' right before their name or description: 'Extrañé a mi perro.' (I missed my dog).

Completed Past Action

The ending '-é' tells you that I performed the action of missing, and it happened and finished at a specific point in the past (the completed past tense).

❌ Common Pitfalls

Confusing the Verb and the Feeling

Mistake: "Yo soy extrañé (I am missed)."

Correction: Yo extrañé (I missed). Remember, extrañar is an action verb, not a state of being like 'ser' or 'estar'.

⭐ Usage Tips

Expressing Reciprocity

To say 'we missed each other,' use the reflexive form: 'Nos extrañamos.' (We missed each other.)

A friendly cartoon squirrel wearing a small hat stares in astonishment at a bright red apple floating inexplicably in the air.

"extrañé" (I was surprised by). The squirrel is surprised by the unusual sight of a floating apple.

extrañé(verb)

C1regular ar

I was surprised by

to find something strange or unusual

Also:

I found strange

to regard something as odd

📝 In Action

Extrañé su repentino silencio; normalmente habla mucho.

I was surprised by his sudden silence; he usually talks a lot.

Al principio extrañé la forma en que se dirigía a su jefe.

At first, I found the way he addressed his boss strange.

Word Connections

Synonyms

sorprender (to surprise)
asombrar (to astonish)

💡 Grammar Points

The Root Meaning

The word 'extrañar' comes from 'extraño' (strange). This meaning is closer to the original sense: 'I found (something) to be strange or foreign to my expectation.'

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

vosotrosextrañáis

él/ella/ustedextraña

túextrañas

yoextraño

nosotrosextrañamos

ellos/ellas/ustedesextrañan

preterite

vosotrosextrañasteis

él/ella/ustedextrañó

túextrañaste

yoextrañé

nosotrosextrañamos

ellos/ellas/ustedesextrañaron

imperfect

vosotrosextrañabais

él/ella/ustedextrañaba

túextrañabas

yoextrañaba

nosotrosextrañábamos

ellos/ellas/ustedesextrañaban

subjunctive

present

vosotrosextrañéis

él/ella/ustedextrañe

túextrañes

yoextrañe

nosotrosextrañemos

ellos/ellas/ustedesextrañen

imperfect

vosotrosextrañarais

él/ella/ustedextrañara

túextrañaras

yoextrañara

nosotrosextrañáramos

ellos/ellas/ustedesextrañaran

View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: extrañé

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence uses 'extrañé' in the sense of 'I was surprised by'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

extrañar(to miss) - verb

extraño(strange, foreign) - adjective

extrañeza(strangeness, surprise) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'extrañé' the same as 'echar de menos'?

Yes, they both mean 'I missed.' 'Extrañé' is used universally across the Spanish-speaking world and is typically more formal or concise. 'Eché de menos' is also very common, especially in Spain and parts of Latin America.

Does 'extrañé' mean the missing feeling is over?

Not necessarily. 'Extrañé' means that the act of missing happened and was completed in the past (e.g., 'I missed you yesterday'). If you currently miss someone, you would use the present tense: 'Yo extraño' (I miss).