Inklingo

How to Say "missed" in Spanish

English → Spanish

perdió

verbB1
Use this when you missed a physical event like a bus or train, or when an opportunity has passed you by.

Examples

Llegó tarde y perdió el último autobús.

He arrived late and missed the last bus.

perdido

/pehr-DEE-doh//peɾˈdi.ðo/

adjectiveB1
Use this to describe something, like time or a chance, as being wasted or lost.
A close-up of a pair of hands letting fine, golden sand pour uselessly onto the ground, symbolizing wasted time or effort.

Examples

Discutir sobre eso es tiempo perdido.

Arguing about that is wasted time.

Fue una oportunidad perdida para aprender algo nuevo.

It was a missed opportunity to learn something new.

fallado

fah-YAH-doh/faˈʎaðo/

past participleA2
Use this primarily when referring to failing to hit a target, like in sports or shooting, often in compound verb forms.
A small, frustrated cartoon character standing next to a tall pole, holding a flag that has dropped to the ground, indicating a failed attempt to plant it on top.

Examples

El equipo ha fallado tres veces en la final.

The team has failed three times in the final.

Mi coche había fallado antes de que lo vendiera.

My car had broken down before I sold it.

La jueza ha fallado a favor del demandante.

The judge has ruled in favor of the plaintiff.

Forming Perfect Tenses

To talk about actions completed in the past, pair 'fallado' with a form of the verb 'haber' (e.g., 'he fallado' means 'I have failed').

No Gender Change

When 'fallado' is used as part of a verb tense (with 'haber'), it always stays 'fallado' regardless of who is doing the failing.

Using 'Ser' instead of 'Haber'

Mistake: “Yo soy fallado.”

Correction: Yo he fallado. Remember that 'haber' is the helper verb for almost all Spanish compound tenses, not 'ser' or 'estar'.

Verb vs. Adjective for Missed Opportunities

Learners often confuse 'perdió' (verb) and 'perdido' (adjective). Remember that 'perdió' describes the *action* of missing something (like a bus), while 'perdido' describes the *state* of something being lost or wasted (like time).

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