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How to Say "they fail" in Spanish

The Spanish word forthey failis pierdenA1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.

English → SpanishA1
verbA1
to achieve a goal
Two runners looking disappointed just past a finish line, indicating they lost the competition, while a third runner celebrates a victory nearby.

Examples

Si no entrenan, siempre pierden los partidos.

If they don't train, they always lose the games.

Ustedes pierden la calma muy fácilmente.

You all lose your temper very easily.

The 'Boot' Verb Rule

The verb 'perder' is stem-changing: the 'e' changes to 'ie' in most forms of the present tense (like 'pierden'), but NOT in the 'nosotros' or 'vosotros' forms ('perdemos', 'perdéis'). Think of it as the change only happening inside the 'boot' shape of the conjugation chart.

Forgetting the Stem Change

Mistake:Ellos 'perden' el partido.

Correction: Ellos 'pierden' el partido. Remember to change the 'e' to 'ie' for 'ellos/ellas/ustedes'.

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