"I miss you" and "He is odd"
How come in Spanish, "He is odd" is translated as "Es extraño" and "I miss you" is translated as "Te extraño."? It seems like extraño does not mean the same thing at all in these two sentences! Thank you!
2 Answers
True homonyms, words like "extraño" and "extraño" exist in all languages. Don't think it "extraño" to see it used for different meanings. "Extrañar" is the verb "to miss."
Consider the English word "Spring"
(1) a small body of water
(2) a season (before summer)
(3) a coiled up piece of wire with tension on it,
(4) a synonym for "to jump."
Hello Maliafnelson
Thank you for your question. 
You asked:
How come in Spanish, "He is odd" is translated as "Es extraño" and "I miss you" is translated as "Te extraño."? It seems like extraño does not mean the same thing at all in these two sentences! Thank you!
Words in most, if not all, widely-spoken world languages (eg: Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, English etc....) change their meaning according to how they are used ....that is, the context determines the meaning!!!
Regarding the use of the word extraño, it is used grammatically in te extraño as a verb, (from the verb extrañar to miss) and in Es extraño as an adjective. ...so it is hardly surprising that the meaning changes!
By the way, in Spain they say: Te echo (mucho) de menos = I miss you (a lot) This is from the verbal construction: echarse de menos.
Daniela has given you a great example with the word: spring!
Another well known English word, and one that presents a real (considerable) challenge to foreign students learning English, is the word 'get' which changes so much as it is used to mean so many different things! Here are some examples of its use:
1.Could you get me (buy) some butter from the supermarket now, please? (Use the verb comprar)
ex: ¿Podrías comprar mantequilla del supermercado ahora, por favor?
2.I don't get (understand) it! (Use entender / comprender)
ex: ¡No lo entiendo!
3.She got (received) a letter today (Use recibir)
ex: Hoy ha recibido una carta / Ha recibido una carta, hoy.
4.Could you get me (bring / fetch)some logs from the kitchen, please? (Llevar / traer)
ex: ¿Podrías llevar algunos troncos de la cocina, por favor?
5.He gets up (gets out of bed/rises) at 7 o 'clock in the morning every day. (Use levantarse)
ex: Se levanta a las 7 de la mañana, todas los días.
I hope this helps. 
Corrijan mi español si es necesario, por favor
