Spanish grammar - Expressing 'to miss' using extrañar and echar de menos

Expressing 'to miss' using extrañar and echar de menos

In Spanish, the emotional concept of 'missing' someone or something are expressed through two main verbs: extrañar and echar de menos.

• extrañar means 'to miss' someone or something emotionally.

-- The pattern is: [subject] + extrañar (conjugated) + [object]

• echar de menos literally means 'to throw less of', but in this context, it translates to 'to miss'.

-- The pattern is: [subject] + echar de menos (conjugated) + [object]

Additionally that is echar en falta which is similar to echar de menos but has a slightly more formal tone.

Examples:
	Extraño a mi madre todos los días. I miss my mother every day. Note the preposition a indicating a personal direct object, required before people or pets. extrañar means 'to miss'
	Ellos extrañan su hogar mientras están de viaje. They miss their home while they are traveling.
	¿Extrañas a tus amigos? Do (you, familiar) miss your friends? Note the preposition a indicating a personal direct object, required before people or pets.
	Ella extraña su vida en el campo. She misses her life in the countryside. vida (f) means 'life'
	Extrañamos la comida de nuestra abuela. We miss our grandmother's food.
	Echamos de menos las vacaciones en la playa. We miss the vacations at the beach. vacaciones (f) means 'vacation'
	¿Echas de menos a tu perro? Do (you, familiar) miss your dog?
	Ellos echaron de menos su ciudad natal. They missed their hometown. natal means 'hometown'
	Echamos de menos los días de verano. We miss the summer days.
	Echa de menos el ruido de la ciudad. He/She misses the noise of the city.
	Eché en falta a mis amigos en la fiesta. I missed my friends at the party. echar en falta means 'to miss'
	Ana echó en falta su familia durante las fiestas. Ana missed her family during the holidays. fiesta (f) means 'holiday'
	Ellos echaron en falta las montañas mientras estaban lejos. They missed the mountains while they were away. lejos means 'far away'
	Echamos en falta los paseos por el parque. We missed the walks in the park. paseo (m) means 'walk'
	Echa en falta el ambiente de la oficina. He/She misses the office atmosphere. ambiente (m) means 'atmosphere'
	A Ana echó en falta su familia. Ana missed her family.
	Echo en falta a mi novia y ella me echa en falta a mí también. I miss my girlfriend and she misses me too. novia means 'girlfriend'