Inklingo

How to Say "i miss" in Spanish

English → Spanish

extraño

verbA2general
Use this when you feel the emotional absence of a person, place, or thing you are fond of.

Examples

Extraño mucho a mi familia cuando viajo.

I miss my family a lot when I travel.

pierdo

/pyehr-doh//ˈpjeɾðo/

verbA2general
Use this when you fail to catch or be on time for transportation like a bus, train, or flight.
A frantic person running and reaching out their hand towards the back of a large yellow bus that is driving away from the bus stop, having just missed it.

Examples

Si salgo tarde de casa, pierdo el autobús.

If I leave home late, I miss the bus.

No quiero quedarme a charlar, o pierdo mi vuelo.

I don't want to stay chatting, or I'll miss my flight.

Immediate Future

Even though 'pierdo' is the present tense, it is often used to talk about an immediate future consequence: 'If X happens, I lose Y' ('Si no me apuro, pierdo el tren').

fallo

/fá-yo//ˈfa.ʎo/

verbA1general
Use this when you fail to achieve a goal or pass something, like an exam or a target.
A small figure looking dejected and sitting next to a short hurdle they failed to jump over, illustrating the concept of failure.

Examples

Si no estudio, fallo el examen.

If I don't study, I fail the exam.

Cuando intento hacer esa receta, siempre fallo en el último paso.

When I try to make that recipe, I always fail at the last step.

Nunca fallo a mis amigos.

I never let my friends down (or: I never fail my friends).

Simple Regular Verb

'Fallar' is a standard '-ar' verb, meaning it follows the most common conjugation patterns, making it easy to learn.

Using 'Fallo' for 'I miss a person'

Mistake: “I miss my mother: 'Yo fallo a mi madre.'”

Correction: Use 'extrañar' or 'echar de menos' when you miss a person. 'Fallo' is for missing a target, a mark, or failing an attempt.

Emotional vs. Practical Missing

The most common mistake is using 'extraño' for practical situations like missing a bus. Remember, 'extraño' is for emotional longing. For transportation or goals, use 'pierdo' or 'fallo' respectively.

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