Italian · Everyday Verbs
"to lose" in Italian: perdere
perdere
To lose in Italian is perdere (PEHR-deh-reh). Io perdo, tu perdi, lui/lei perde. Past participle perso / persa. Do not use perdita as the verb.
Missing wallet
Ho perso il portafoglio sul treno.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce perdere
Say it
PEHR-deh-reh
/ˈpɛr.de.re/
Perdere stresses PEHR: PEHR-deh-reh. Soft d. Perso is PEHR-soh.
"to lose" in Italian: quick reference
| Italian | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| perdere | to lose Games, objects, patience. | Games, objects, patience. |
| perdo / perdi / perde | I lose / you lose / he-she loses Present singular. | Present singular. |
| perso / persa | lost Past participle. | Past participle. |
| perdere tempo | to waste time Everyday complaint. | Everyday complaint. |
How to use perdere in real life
- 1Missing wallet
Ho perso il portafoglio sul treno.
I lost my wallet on the train.
Perso.
- 2Board game
Se perdo ancora, pago io il caffè.
If I lose again, I'll buy the coffee.
Perdo.
- 3Rushing
Non perdere tempo: l'autobus parte.
Don't waste time: the bus is leaving.
Perdere.
Mistakes English speakers make with perdere
Incorrect: Io perdere le chiavi.
Correct: Perdo le chiavi. / Ho perso le chiavi.
Conjugate: io perdo.
Incorrect: Ho una perdita le chiavi.
Correct: Ho perso le chiavi.
Perdita is a noun (loss/leak); use perso for lost items.
Good to know
Ho perso le chiavi is a national pastime line. In sports, abbiamo perso needs no softening among friends.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
After a football match
ChatPal
Abbiamo perso due a uno.
We lost two to one.
You
Lo so. Io non perdo mai la voce comunque.
I know. I never lose my voice anyway.
ChatPal
Almeno non abbiamo perso i biglietti.
At least we didn't lose the tickets.
You
Piccole vittorie.
Small victories.
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 Italian
How do I say I lost…?
Ho perso…
I lose?
Perdo.
Perdita?
A noun (loss/leak)—not the verb form for lost keys.
Waste time?
Perdere tempo.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
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- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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