perder
/peɾˈdeɾ/
to lose in Spanish is perder.
The verb perder means to lose. You can also use the phrase perder el tiempo to mean wasting time, which is similar to the English expression.
How does it change in a sentence?
The past participle of perder is perdido, which you can use to form perfect tenses or as an adjective. When conjugating the verb in the present tense, the forms are: Yo pierdo (I lose), Tú pierdes (you lose), Él/Ella pierde (he/she loses), Nosotros/Nosotras perdemos (we lose) and Ellos/Ellas pierden (they lose).
How do you pronounce it?
/peɾˈdeɾ/
Did you know?
- The phrase perder los estribos literally means 'to lose the stirrups' but is used to describe someone losing their temper.
- The English word 'perdition', which refers to eternal damnation or ruin, shares the exact same Latin root as the Spanish verb perder.
- If you are 'losing your mind' in Spanish, you would say perder la cabeza (to lose the head) rather than 'perder la mente'.
Examples in context
- No vamos a perder.We aren't going to lose.This sentence is useful for expressing that a group is not going to lose using perder.Tatoeba #2352555 by Shishir, translation #4918955 by CK
- Voy a perder peso.I'm going to lose weight.This sentence is useful for expressing an intention to lose weight using perder.Tatoeba #7181462 by arh, translation #9169531 by DJ_Saidez
- No le gusta perder.He doesn't like to lose.This sentence is useful for expressing a dislike for losing using perder.Tatoeba #2216949 by Shishir, translation #2145043 by Hybrid
- Perdimos el partido de fútbol.We lost the soccer match.
- Perdí mi cartera en el centro comercial.I lost my wallet at the mall.
- Extravié mi pasaporte durante el viaje.I misplaced my passport during the trip.
- La compañía de transporte extravió mi paquete.The transport company lost my package.
- ¡Me perdí en el laberinto del parque!I got lost in the park's maze!
- Me perdí en las calles de la ciudad.I got lost in the city streets.
- 132 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and Elena are looking for a set of keys.
- DanielNo puedo encontrar las llaves.I cannot find the keys.
- Elena¿Crees que vas a perder las llaves?Do you think you are going to lose the keys?
- DanielSí, siempre suelo perder mis cosas.Yes, I always tend to lose my things.
- ElenaBusca bien en tu mochila, Daniel.Look carefully in your backpack, Daniel.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry perder, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries perder, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
