perdí

/per-DEE/

I lost

A child looking sad while searching for a lost toy on the ground.

I lost my toy.

perdí(Verb (Preterite Tense, Yo form))

A1Irregular (stem-changing E→IE in the present tense) er

I lost

misplacing an object or money

Also:

I misplaced

an item

📝 In Action

¡Qué pena, perdí mis llaves en el parque!

What a shame, I lost my keys in the park!

Ayer compré un billete de lotería y perdí todo mi dinero.

Yesterday I bought a lottery ticket and I lost all my money.

Word Connections

Synonyms

extravié (I misplaced)
despilfarré (I wasted (money/resources))

Antonyms

encontré (I found)
gané (I won/earned)

Common Collocations

perdí el control – I lost control
perdí la cabeza – I lost my mind

Idioms & Expressions

perdí el norte – I lost my bearings/direction (metaphorically)

💡 Grammar Points

Preterite Tense Focus

This 'perdí' form tells us that the action ('losing') started and finished at a specific point in the past, like a single closed event.

Stem-Change Exception

Even though the infinitive 'perder' changes its middle vowel (e→ie) in the present tense (yo pierdo), in the simple past ('perdí'), it keeps the original 'perd' stem, making it behave like a regular '-er' verb.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Confusing Tenses

Mistake: "Using 'perdía' (Imperfect) for a single lost item: 'Ayer perdía mi teléfono.'"

Correction: Use 'perdí' (Preterite) for a one-time completed action: 'Ayer perdí mi teléfono.' The Imperfect 'perdía' is used for ongoing or repeated actions.

⭐ Usage Tips

Using Reflexively

To emphasize that something was lost or that you lost it completely, you can add 'se': 'Se me perdieron las gafas' (My glasses got lost on me).

Two cartoon animals in a race. One cheers at the finish line while the other, far behind, looks disappointed.

I lost the race.

perdí(Verb (Preterite Tense, Yo form))

A2Irregular (stem-changing E→IE in the present tense) er

I lost

in a game or competition

📝 In Action

Jugué contra el campeón de ajedrez y, como era de esperar, perdí.

I played against the chess champion and, as expected, I lost.

No importa que perdí, me divertí mucho en el torneo.

It doesn't matter that I lost, I had a lot of fun in the tournament.

Word Connections

Synonyms

fui derrotado (I was defeated)

Antonyms

gané (I won)

Common Collocations

perdí por poco – I barely lost

A frustrated person watching a large yellow bus pull away from the stop, having missed it.

I missed the bus.

perdí(Verb (Preterite Tense, Yo form))

B1Irregular (stem-changing E→IE in the present tense) er

I missed

a bus, train, or flight

Also:

I blew

an opportunity (informal)

📝 In Action

Llegué cinco minutos tarde al aeropuerto y perdí el vuelo.

I arrived five minutes late to the airport and missed the flight.

Tenía una gran oportunidad de trabajo, pero la perdí.

I had a great job opportunity, but I missed it.

Word Connections

Synonyms

falté (I failed to attend (context: missing class))

Common Collocations

perdí la cita – I missed the appointment
perdí el tiempo – I wasted time

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: perdí

Question 1 of 1

Which of these sentences correctly uses 'perdí' to mean 'I missed' a transport?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

perder(to lose) - verb

pérdida(loss) - noun

perdedor(loser (person)) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is 'perdí' considered part of an irregular verb if it looks regular in the past tense?

The verb 'perder' is considered irregular because its stem changes in the present tense (e.g., yo *pierdo*). However, when you use the simple past tense ('perdí'), the stem change goes away, and it behaves exactly like a regular '-er' verb! So 'perdí' itself is a very easy form to learn.

If I want to say 'I lost myself' or 'I got lost', should I use 'perdí'?

No. When talking about getting lost or losing your way, you need the reflexive form, 'perderse.' In the past tense, you would say 'Me perdí' (I got lost) or 'Me perdí en la ciudad' (I got lost in the city).