Inklingo

How to Say "losing" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “losing” is “perdiendo” — use this word when describing the ongoing action of a team or individual currently in the process of losing a game, match, or competition.

English → Spanish

perdiendo

per-dyén-dopeɾˈdjen.do

VerbA1General
Use this word when describing the ongoing action of a team or individual currently in the process of losing a game, match, or competition.
A blue bunny sitting sadly on a racetrack after giving up, while a red turtle celebrates winning the race in the background.

Examples

El equipo local está perdiendo 3 a 1.

The home team is losing 3 to 1.

¿Estás perdiendo peso con la nueva dieta?

Are you losing weight with the new diet?

Siento que estoy perdiendo mi tiempo en esta reunión.

I feel like I am wasting my time in this meeting.

The Progressive Action

In Spanish, we use 'estar' (to be) + 'perdiendo' to show that the action of losing is happening right now: 'Estoy perdiendo' (I am losing).

Gerunds Stay the Same

Unlike adjectives, the gerund 'perdiendo' always stays the same regardless of who is doing the losing (male, female, plural, singular). 'Ella está perdiendo,' 'Ellos están perdiendo.'

Forgetting the Helper Verb

Mistake: “Using 'Yo perdiendo' to mean 'I am losing'.”

Correction: The gerund needs a 'helper' verb, usually 'estar'. The correct phrase is 'Yo estoy perdiendo'.

NounA2General
This noun refers to the outcome or result of a competition where one side did not win, or more generally, the act of losing something valuable.

Examples

La pérdida de mi billetera me causó muchos problemas.

The loss of my wallet caused me many problems.

perdedor

pehr-deh-DORpeɾðeˈðoɾ

AdjectiveB1General
Use this adjective to describe a team, player, or streak that is characterized by losing, often implying a history or tendency of defeat.
Two teams of cartoon animals playing tug-of-war. One team is clearly being pulled across the center line and looks exhausted, indicating they are the losing team.

Examples

El equipo tuvo una racha perdedora de cinco partidos.

The team had a losing streak of five games.

No puedes tener esa actitud perdedora si quieres triunfar.

You can't have that defeatist attitude if you want to succeed.

Adjective Agreement

As an adjective, 'perdedor' must match the noun it describes. For example, 'actitud' (attitude) is feminine, so you must use 'actitud perdedora'.

perdedores

pehr-deh-DOH-rehspeɾðeˈðoɾes

AdjectiveB1General
This is the plural form of 'perdedor' and is used to describe multiple teams, individuals, or entities that have lost or are characterized by defeat.
A high quality simple colorful storybook illustration showing one sports team looking sad and sitting down on a field, while the opposing team celebrates a victory in the background.

Examples

Mostraron unos rostros perdedores después de la votación.

They showed losing faces after the vote.

Esos planes perdedores nos costaron mucho tiempo y dinero.

Those losing/unsuccessful plans cost us a lot of time and money.

Adjective Agreement

Remember that 'perdedores' must agree with the noun it modifies. Since it is masculine plural, it describes masculine plural nouns (e.g., 'equipos perdedores', not 'estrategias perdedores').

Mixing up gender

Mistake: “Las estrategias perdedores.”

Correction: Las estrategias perdedoras. (Strategy is feminine, so the adjective must also be feminine.)

Verb vs. Noun vs. Adjective

The most common mistake is confusing the verb 'perdiendo' (losing now) with the noun 'pérdida' (the result of losing) or the adjective 'perdedor/perdedores' (describing a loser or a losing streak). Remember to use the verb form for an ongoing action and the noun/adjective for states or descriptions.

Related Translations

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