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perder

pehr-DEHRpeɾˈdeɾ

to lose

Also: to misplace
VerbA1irregular (e:ie stem-change) er
A frustrated person kneeling beside a large red sofa, lifting a cushion and looking underneath with a worried expression, searching for a lost object.
infinitiveperder
gerundperdiendo
past Participleperdido

📝 In Action

Siempre pierdo mis llaves.

A1

I always lose my keys.

¿Perdiste tu teléfono otra vez?

A2

Did you lose your phone again?

Ten cuidado, no vayas a perder el pasaporte.

B1

Be careful, don't lose the passport.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • extraviar (to misplace (more formal))

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • perder las llaves – to lose the keys
  • perder la cartera – to lose the wallet

to lose

VerbA2irregular (e:ie stem-change) er
Two opposing soccer players on a green field. One player is jumping and cheering in victory, while the other player is sitting slumped on the ground, looking sad and defeated.
infinitiveperder
gerundperdiendo
past Participleperdido

📝 In Action

Mi equipo favorito perdió el partido.

A2

My favorite team lost the game.

No me gusta perder cuando juego al ajedrez.

B1

I don't like to lose when I play chess.

Si perdemos este cliente, será un gran problema.

B2

If we lose this client, it will be a big problem.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • caer (to fall (in battle/competition))

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • perder una apuesta – to lose a bet
  • perder una elección – to lose an election

to miss

VerbA2irregular (e:ie stem-change) er
A person running quickly toward the edge of the frame, watching a large blue bus drive away from the bus stop, looking disappointed because they missed it.
infinitiveperder
gerundperdiendo
past Participleperdido

📝 In Action

¡Corre! Vamos a perder el autobús.

A2

Run! We're going to miss the bus.

Llegué tarde y perdí el principio de la película.

B1

I arrived late and missed the beginning of the movie.

Es una gran oportunidad, no la puedes perder.

B1

It's a great opportunity, you can't miss it.

Word Connections

Antonyms

  • coger (to catch (in Spain))
  • tomar (to take/catch (in Latin America))
  • alcanzar (to reach, to catch up to)

Common Collocations

  • perder el tren – to miss the train
  • perder el vuelo – to miss the flight
  • perder una oportunidad – to miss an opportunity

to waste

Also: to squander
VerbB1irregular (e:ie stem-change) er
A cartoon figure sitting idly on a park bench, letting several paper bills float away from their open hand into the wind, symbolizing wasted money.
infinitiveperder
gerundperdiendo
past Participleperdido

📝 In Action

No pierdas tu tiempo con ese videojuego.

B1

Don't waste your time with that video game.

Perdió todo su dinero en malas inversiones.

B2

He wasted all his money on bad investments.

Estamos perdiendo una cantidad enorme de agua por la fuga.

B2

We are wasting a huge amount of water because of the leak.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • aprovechar (to make the most of, to take advantage of)
  • ahorrar (to save (money, time))

Common Collocations

  • perder el tiempo – to waste time
  • perder dinero – to waste money
  • perder el aliento – to waste one's breath

to get lost

Also: to get caught up in
B1irregular (e:ie stem-change) er
A small cartoon traveler standing at a confusing junction in a dense forest path, holding a map upside down and looking utterly bewildered, indicating they are lost.
infinitiveperderse
gerundperdiéndose
past Participleperdido

📝 In Action

Creo que nos perdimos. ¿Dónde está el mapa?

B1

I think we got lost. Where is the map?

Me perdí en la multitud y no encontraba a mis amigos.

B1

I got lost in the crowd and couldn't find my friends.

No te puedes perder el final de esta serie, ¡es increíble!

B2

You can't miss the end of this series, it's incredible!

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • desorientarse (to get disoriented)

Antonyms

  • encontrarse (to find oneself)
  • ubicarse (to find one's location)

Common Collocations

  • perderse en la ciudad – to get lost in the city
  • perderse en sus pensamientos – to be lost in thought

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedpierde
yopierdo
túpierdes
ellos/ellas/ustedespierden
nosotrosperdemos
vosotrosperdéis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedperdía
yoperdía
túperdías
ellos/ellas/ustedesperdían
nosotrosperdíamos
vosotrosperdíais

preterite

él/ella/ustedperdió
yoperdí
túperdiste
ellos/ellas/ustedesperdieron
nosotrosperdimos
vosotrosperdisteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedpierda
yopierda
túpierdas
ellos/ellas/ustedespierdan
nosotrosperdamos
vosotrosperdáis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedperdiera
yoperdiera
túperdieras
ellos/ellas/ustedesperdieran
nosotrosperdiéramos
vosotrosperdierais
View All Tenses & Moods →

🔀 Commonly Confused With

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✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: perder

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly says 'I miss my dog'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin word 'perdere', which is a combination of 'per-' (meaning 'through' or 'to destruction') and 'dare' (meaning 'to give'). So, the original idea was 'to give away to destruction' or 'to ruin'.

First recorded: Around the 10th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: perderFrench: perdreItalian: perdere

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Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between 'perder' and 'extrañar'?

Think of it this way: 'perder' is for things you can fail to catch or keep. You 'pierdes el autobús' (miss the bus) or 'pierdes las llaves' (lose your keys). 'Extrañar' is for the feeling in your heart when you miss a person, a pet, or a place. You 'extrañas a tu familia' (miss your family).

Why do people say 'me pierdo' instead of just 'pierdo'?

When you add 'me' (or 'te', 'se', etc.), it changes the meaning from losing something else to losing yourself. 'Pierdo el mapa' means 'I lose the map.' But 'Me pierdo' means 'I get lost.' The action happens to you.