Echo de menos mi pueblo natal cuando estoy lejos.

I miss my hometown when I am far away.

Breakdown of Echo de menos mi pueblo natal cuando estoy lejos.

• yo: I
• mi: my
• estar: to be
• cuando: when

Questions & Answers about Echo de menos mi pueblo natal cuando estoy lejos.

Why is echo used here? Is it the verb echar?

Yes. Echo is the first-person singular present form of echar:

• yo echo = I miss / I throw / I put, depending on context
• tú echas
• él/ella echa

In this sentence, echo de menos is a fixed expression meaning I miss.

A very common learner confusion is echo vs hecho:

• echo = from echar
• hecho = past participle of hacer, meaning done / made

So here it is definitely echo, not hecho.

What does echar de menos mean exactly, and is it the normal way to say to miss in Spain?

Yes. In Spain, echar de menos is one of the most natural and common ways to say to miss someone or something.

So:

• Echo de menos a mi familia = I miss my family
• Echo de menos mi pueblo natal = I miss my hometown

In many parts of Latin America, extrañar is also very common:

• Extraño a mi familia

In Spain, people understand extrañar, but echar de menos often sounds more natural in everyday speech.