pierde
“pierde” means “loses” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
loses, is losing
Also: lose
📝 In Action
Mi perro siempre se escapa y **pierde** su collar.
A2My dog always escapes and loses his collar.
Si no practica, el equipo **pierde** todos los partidos.
A2If he doesn't practice, the team loses every game.
¡Si sabes la respuesta, no **pierde** tiempo!
B1If you know the answer, don't lose time! (Informal command)
misses, wastes
Also: forfeits
📝 In Action
Si no se apura, **pierde** el vuelo a Madrid.
B1If he doesn't hurry up, he misses the flight to Madrid.
Cuando ella está en redes sociales, **pierde** mucho tiempo.
B1When she is on social media, she wastes a lot of time.
El presidente **pierde** la oportunidad de hablar con la prensa.
B2The president misses the opportunity to speak with the press.
Indicative
Present
Imperfect
Preterite
Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: pierde
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'pierde' to mean 'misses an opportunity'?
📚 More Resources
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin verb *perdere*, which also meant 'to lose' or 'to destroy.' The meaning has been very stable over centuries.
First recorded: Old Spanish (around the 13th century)
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'pierde' have an 'ie' sound if the infinitive is 'perder'?
'Perder' is an irregular 'stem-changing' verb. When the vowel 'e' is stressed (like in 'pierde'), it changes to 'ie' to make the word flow better. This happens in most forms except 'nosotros' and 'vosotros'.
Can I use 'pierde' for 'waste time'?
Yes, absolutely! 'Pierde tiempo' is the standard way to say 'wastes time' when referring to a third person (he/she/it) or formal 'you' (usted).