“Miss you” is the present simple form of the verb to miss and “Missed you” is the past simple form of the same verb.
The verb “to miss” has a few different meanings so let’s understand when you need to use “miss you” or “missed you” depending on the context.
The correct spelling of the phrase “miss you” is “miss you“. The correct spelling of the phrase “I missed you” is “I missed you“. This answer can be found on many grammar websites, but there are some cases in which both spellings are used.
There are two ways to use the word miss: I miss someone or I’ve missed something that person did or provided. In the first case, the person who is doing the missing is still alive, but in the second case, that person has passed away. When someone has died, we use “miss you”, as in “I miss you.” This is why “miss you” is spelled with an apostrophe: to show possession (you belong to someone).
In contrast, we use “I’ve missed something” when someone failed to perform their duties and that omission affects us negatively. This is why “I missed” is spelled with an apostrophe: to show omission (something that was intended to be done has not been done).
I Miss You or I Missed You, Which Is Correct?
Both are correct. “I miss you” is used when someone is not with you and you are speaking with him on phone, whereas “I missed you” is the past tense. You might say this when you eventually meet the person.
In light of this, The main difference is that “miss you” is in the present simple tense and “missed you” is in the past simple.
“Miss you” is a feeling that you usually have in the present tense but there can also be a situation when you meet the person again and you can say “I missed you”
This may be a good place to mention the term “I am missing you” which does not have an apostrophe. Although it is correct, I consider this a non-standard way of saying the same thing as “I Miss You”. I’ve never seen it used outside of fanfiction and here, I think it is better to use “I Miss You”.
We had an interesting discussion about singular vs. plural “you”. It was a good discussion because of the way the rule we were using (using a plural preposition with a singular noun) was put into play in context. If you are interested, check out the forum: http://grammar.about.com/od/grammarpages/a/Using-Singular-and-Plural-Possessive.htm
Missed you, as a noun, and miss you as a verb mean the same thing. However, I often hear “I miss you” and “I missed you” for the same meaning. I think it’s more prevalent in speech than writing.
Also, related to this question: Can you say: I miss you = Yes, but can you say: I miss her = Yes, but the word “her” is an object pronoun (she). You would use it when speaking about someone else or something else that she does. You would never say “I miss myself”. Only about others.
When to Use “I Miss you”
“I Miss you” is most commonly used when you feel that you are lonely without a person. You want them to be in your company again because you have a strong connection with them.
I miss you, Barry, I haven’t seen you in ages.
It seems like ages since we last spoke! I miss you!
When to Use “Missed you”
“Missed you” is more common in the context of when you tried to meet someone but they weren’t there.
Imagine that you want to meet your boss but he has gone out for coffee. You could send him an email saying “sorry I missed you earlier”.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we use “I’ve missed something” when someone failed to perform their duties and that omission affects us negatively. This is why “I missed” is spelled with an apostrophe: to show omission (something that was intended to be done has not been done).
I’m totally confused about this one. I only know what my English teacher taught me in school, which is that both “missed you” and “miss you” are correct. I’ve even heard people from an earlier generation who might have been a little more literate say “I missed you.”
It seemed to me that it was a personal preference, but some people think the matter is clear-cut. Others aren’t so sure and follow different rules. What’s their rule? I wish they’d either direct me to their rule or tell me what they think is right.