perdre
/pɛʁdʁ/
The English phrase 'lose' is translated to French as perdre.
perdre is the standard French word for 'to lose'. It can be used to describe losing an object or to mean being defeated in a game or competition. When specifically talking about misplacing an object, the verb égarer is often used.
Meaning: (intransitive) be defeated (verb)
Which one should you use?
While perdre can be used generally to mean 'to lose' an object, it is also used intransitively to mean 'to be defeated' in the context of a competition.
How does it change in a sentence?
The past participle of perdre is perdu.
How do you pronounce it?
/pɛʁdʁ/
When do people say it?
In the context of sports or competitions, you may hear the phrase se faire battre, which literally translates to 'to get beaten'. If someone loses by a significant margin, the expression se prendre une raclée can be used to mean 'to take a beating'.
Did you know?
- The French verb perdre shares a common ancestor with the English word 'perdition', which refers to a state of complete ruin or eternal loss.
- French speakers use perdre le fil to describe the moment they 'lose the thread' or forget what they were saying during a conversation.
- The word perdu can be used as an adjective to describe a remote or isolated place, such as un village perdu.
Examples in context
- Qu'as-tu à perdre ?What do you have to lose?This example shows the use of perdre in a rhetorical question.Tatoeba #1921034 by sacredceltic, translation #1920773 by Spamster
- Tu m'as fait perdre.You made me lose.This example shows perdre being used as an object of an action.Tatoeba #9171644 by Julien_PDC, translation #5504654 by CK
- On ne va pas perdre.We aren't going to lose.This example shows the future intent using perdre.Tatoeba #10346602 by Aiji, translation #4918955 by CK
- J'ai perdu mon portefeuille.I lost my wallet.
- Nous avons perdu le match.We lost the game.
- J'ai égaré mes clés.I've misplaced my keys.
- L'équipe s'est fait battre.The team got beaten.
- J'ai complètement perdu la boule avec ce problème de mathématiques.I completely lost it with this math problem.
- J'ai foutu en l'air mon entretien d'embauche.I messed up my job interview.
- On s'est pris une raclée lors du dernier match.We got beaten badly in the last game.
- 304 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Chloé are playing a board game.
- LucasJe pense que je vais perdre.I think I am going to lose.
- ChloéNe dis pas ça, Lucas !Don't say that, Lucas!
- LucasC'est vrai, je vais vraiment perdre.It's true, I am really going to lose.
- ChloéC'est parce que je joue mieux.It's because I play better.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lose” translations and entries perdre, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries perdre, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
