French · Everyday Verbs
"to lose" in French: perdre
perdre
To lose in French is perdre: je perds toujours mes gants, on a perdu le match. J'ai perdu means I lost (something) or I've lost.
Transit card
J'ai perdu mon ticket de métro.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce perdre
Say it
pairdr
/pɛʁdʁ/
Perdre: pairdr. Soft French r; the e before r is light.
"to lose" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| perdre | to lose Objects, games, time. | Objects, games, time. |
| je perds | I lose / I'm losing Present. | Present. |
| j'ai perdu | I lost / I've lost Past with avoir. | Past with avoir. |
| perdre du temps | to waste time Common idiom. | Common idiom. |
How to use perdre in real life
- 1Transit card
J'ai perdu mon ticket de métro.
I lost my metro ticket.
J'ai perdu.
- 2Sports
On perd le match à la dernière minute.
We're losing the match in the last minute.
On perd.
- 3Advice
Ne perds pas ton temps sur ce dossier.
Don't waste your time on that file.
Perds (imperative/tu).
Mistakes English speakers make with perdre
Incorrect: J'ai losé mes clés.
Correct: J'ai perdu mes clés.
Past participle is perdu.
Incorrect: Je loose toujours.
Correct: Je perds toujours.
Use perdre / perds, not English lose.
Good to know
Perdu ! can mean you're done / you lose in games. Objets trouvés is the lost-and-found when you've perdu something in a station.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Missing a phone
ChatPal
Tu as perdu ton téléphone où ?
Where did you lose your phone?
You
Je ne sais pas, je le perds toujours dans le sac.
I don't know — I always lose it in the bag.
ChatPal
Appelle-le avant de le perdre vraiment.
Call it before you really lose it.
You
Il vibre ! Merci.
It's buzzing! Thanks.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"to lose" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to lose" in French
How do you say to lose in French?
Perdre.
How do you say I lost it?
Je l'ai perdu / perdue.
How do you say to waste time?
Perdre du temps.
How do you pronounce perdre?
pairdr.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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