echar de menos

Definition & meaning

The phrase "echar de menos" is used to express the feeling of missing someone or something. It describes the emotional state of longing or sadness caused by the absence of a person, a place, or an experience.

• To miss a person: When you feel the absence of a friend, family member, or partner. (e.g., "Te echo de menos" - "I miss you").
• To miss a thing or situation: When you long for a past experience, an object, or a location that is no longer present. (e.g., "Echo de menos vivir en la playa" - "I miss living at the beach").

Grammar & Word origin

"Echar de menos" is a compound verbal phrase.

• Echar: Literally means "to throw" or "to cast," but in this context, it functions as a light verb to indicate the act of "putting out" or "projecting" the feeling.
• De menos: Literally means "of less."

Historically, the phrase comes from the idea of "casting" something "to a lesser state," implying that something is lacking or that there is a deficit in one's current circumstances. It is a transitive construction that requires an object. It is synonymous with the verb extrañar ↗ in many parts of the Spanish-speaking world.

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms:

• Extrañar ↗: Widely used in Latin America to express the same feeling of missing someone or something.
• Anhelar ↗: To yearn or long for something with great intensity.
• Añorar ↗: To feel nostalgia or to miss something from the past deeply.

Antonyms:

• Olvidar ↗: To forget, which represents the opposite of keeping someone or something in one's thoughts.
• Despreciar ↗: To disregard or show lack of care for someone or something.