French · Travel & Getting Around

"I'm lost" in French: je suis perdu(e)

je suis perdu(e)

Say it: zhuh swee pehr-DYUphrase/ʒə sɥi pɛʁ.dy/

I'm lost in French is je suis perdu (man) or je suis perdue (woman). Add location help: je suis perdu, tu peux m'indiquer la gare ? Keep the whole phrase, not only perdu.

Tourist to a local

Pardon, je suis perdu. est la rue Rivoli ?
Excuse me, I'm lost. Where is rue Rivoli?
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How to pronounce je suis perdu(e)

Say it

zhuh swee pehr-DYU

/ʒə sɥi pɛʁ.dy/

Je suis: zhuh swee. Perdu: pehr-DYU. Perdue: pehr-DYU with a clearer final vowel.

"I'm lost" in French: quick reference

FrenchEnglish
je suis perduI'm lost (m)

Man speaking.

je suis perdueI'm lost (f)

Woman speaking.

on est perduswe're lost

Group.

je me suis perdu(e)I got lost

Past / how it happened.

How to use je suis perdu(e) in real life

  1. 1Tourist to a local

    Pardon, je suis perdu. est la rue Rivoli ?

    Excuse me, I'm lost. Where is rue Rivoli?

    Full je suis perdu.

  2. 2Woman in a mall

    Je suis perdue ; je cherche la sortie parking.

    I'm lost; I'm looking for the parking exit.

    Je suis perdue (f).

  3. 3Late for a meetup

    Désolé, je suis perdu dans le quartier.

    Sorry, I'm lost in the neighborhood.

    Je suis perdu + place.

Mistakes English speakers make with je suis perdu(e)

Incorrect: Je suis lose.

Correct: Je suis perdu / perdue.

Use the full phrase je suis perdu(e).

Incorrect: Je perdu.

Correct: Je suis perdu.

Need suis; perdu alone is not the full phrase.

Good to know

Start with pardon or excusez-moi before je suis perdu(e). People often answer with landmarks: juste après le moniteur, en face de la pharmacie.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Asking for the museum after wrong turns

  1. ChatPal

    Ça va ? Tu as l'air stressé.

    You okay? You look stressed.

  2. You

    Ouije suis perdu. Le musée est ?

    Yeah… I'm lost. Where's the museum?

  3. ChatPal

    OK. Si tu es perdu, suis la Seine vers l'est.

    OK. If you're lost, follow the Seine east.

  4. You

    Merci, je retente.

    Thanks, I'll try again.

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"I'm lost" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "I'm lost" in French

How do you say I'm lost?

Je suis perdu (m) / je suis perdue (f).

Do I need the whole phrase?

Yes for this headword — include je suis perdu(e).

How do you say we got lost?

On s'est perdus / on est perdus.

How do you pronounce perdu?

pehr-DYU.

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