私は財布をなくしました
watashi wa saifu o nakushimashita
In Japanese, "I lost my wallet" is expressed as 私は財布をなくしました (watashi wa saifu o nakushimashita). Wiktionary also lists 財布をなくした (saifu o nakushita).
Meaning: I lost my wallet (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 私は財布をなくしました | watashi wa saifu o nakushimashita |
| 財布をなくした | saifu o nakushita |
In Japanese, it is very common to omit the subject 私は (I) if the context makes it clear that you are talking about yourself.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 財布 (saifu) literally means 'wallet'.
Which one should you use?
The form 私は財布をなくしました is the polite version, while 財布をなくした is the casual version, often used when speaking to friends or family or when the subject 'I' is omitted.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb なくしました is the polite past tense of 'to lose', whereas なくした is the casual past tense of 'to lose'.
How do you pronounce it?
watashi wa saifu o nakushimashita
Did you know?
- If you lose your wallet and find it later, you would use the verb 見つかる (mitsukaru), which is an intransitive verb meaning the wallet 'found itself'.
- While 財布 (saifu) refers to the wallet, the word is composed of the characters for 'purse' and 'cloth', reflecting the historical way money was carried in fabric pouches.
- In Japan, if you lose your 財布 (wallet), you should report it to a kōban, which is a small neighborhood police box found on many street corners.
Examples in context
- 学校に行く途中で財布をなくした。I lost my wallet on the way to school.This sentence is useful for describing the context of when you used the form 財布をなくした.Tatoeba #11512517 by small_snow, translation #2307479 by erikspen
- 私は財布をなくしました。Watashi wa saifu o nakushimashita.I lost my wallet.
- 大変です、私は財布をなくしました。Taihen desu, watashi wa saifu o nakushimashita.This is bad, I lost my wallet.
Example conversation
Hiyori tells Daishoto that she cannot pay for her meal.
- 陽葵 Himari大翔さん、私は財布をなくしました。Daishoto-san, watashi wa saifu o nakushimashita.Daishoto, I lost my wallet.
- 大翔 Hirotoえっ、本当に？どこでなくしたの？e, hontou ni? doko de nakushita no?What, really? Where did you lose it?
- 陽葵 Himariよくわからないけど、もうないです。yoku wakaranai kedo, mou nai desu.I'm not sure, but it's gone now.
- 大翔 Hirotoいいよ、今日は僕が払うね。ii yo, kyou wa boku ga harau ne.It's okay, I'll pay today.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I lost my wallet” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
