Perder

Today’s Spanish word of the day is “perder”.

It’s a verb meaning “to lose”.

The reflexive form, “perderse”, means “to get lost”.

“Perder” is an irregular verb that is conjugated with the same pattern as the verb “entender” (“to understand”). Here’s the conjugation in the present tense:

Yo pierdo – I lose
Tú pierdes – You lose (informal singular)
Él/Ella/Usted pierde – He/She loses, You lose (formal singular)
Nosotros/Nosotras perdemos – We lose
Vosotros/Vosotras perdéis – You lose (informal plural, only used in Spain)
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes pierden – They lose, You lose (plural)

Example sentences

No quiero perder el tren.

I don’t want to miss the train.

Perdí mi billetera.

I lost my wallet.

No pierdas la esperanza.

Don’t lose hope.

No puedo perder esta oportunidad.

I can’t miss this opportunity.

Perderse en una nueva ciudad puede ser divertido.

Getting lost in a new city can be fun.

Common phrases using the word “perder”

There are lots of common phrases using the word “perder” in Spanish. Here are just a few.

Perder el tiempo

Literal translation: To lose the time.
Meaning: To waste time.
Example sentence: No quiero perder el tiempo en discusiones sin sentido. – I don’t want to waste time on pointless arguments.

Perder la cabeza

Literal translation: To lose the head.
Meaning: To lose one’s mind, to go crazy.
Example sentence: Me hace perder la cabeza. – He/she drives me crazy.

Perder de vista

Literal translation: To lose of sight
Meaning: To lose sight of, to lose track of.
Example sentence: No quiero perder de vista a mis hijos en la playa. – I don’t want to lose sight of my children at the beach.

Perder terreno

Literal translation: To lose ground.
Meaning: To lose ground.
Example sentence: La empresa perdió terreno en el mercado el año pasado. – The company lost ground in the market last year.