Portuguese · Everyday Verbs

"to lose" in Portuguese: perder

perder

Say it: pehr-DEHRverb/peʁ.ˈdeʁ/

To lose in Portuguese is perder. Say eu perco and Ontem perdi a chave. The noun perda does not count for this verb entry.

Transit

Eu nunca perco o bilhete no bolso interno.
I never lose the ticket in the inside pocket.
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How to pronounce perder

Say it

pehr-DEHR

/peʁ.ˈdeʁ/

pehr-DEHR

"to lose" in Portuguese: quick reference

PortugueseEnglish
perderto lose

Dictionary form.

eu percoI lose

First person.

perdiI lost

Past.

não perdedon’t lose / it doesn’t lose

Advice.

How to use perder in real life

  1. 1Transit

    Eu nunca perco o bilhete no bolso interno.

    I never lose the ticket in the inside pocket.

    Habit.

  2. 2Game

    Se a gente perde hoje, ainda tem a volta.

    If we lose today, there’s still the return match.

    Sports.

  3. 3Apology

    Perdi o carregador no hotel ontem.

    I lost the charger at the hotel yesterday.

    Past.

Mistakes English speakers make with perder

Incorrect: Eu perder as chaves.

Correct: Eu perco as chaves. / Perdi as chaves.

Conjugate: eu perco / perdi.

Incorrect: Tive uma perda das chaves (only).

Correct: Perdi as chaves.

Use the verb perder; the noun perda doesn’t count here.

Good to know

Perder covers lost objects, lost games, and missing a bus (perder o ônibus). Irregular present: eu perco. Soften with Acabei de perder…

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Missing a train

  1. ChatPal

    Você perdeu o trem das oito?

    Did you miss the eight o’clock train?

  2. You

    Perdi. O Uber atrasou cinco minutos.

    I did. The Uber was five minutes late.

  3. ChatPal

    Não perde o próximo sai em dez.

    Don’t miss the next one — it leaves in ten.

  4. You

    estou na plataforma. Obrigada.

    I’m already on the platform. Thanks.

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"to lose" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "to lose" in Portuguese

I lose?

Eu perco.

I lost?

Eu perdi.

Miss the bus?

Perder o ônibus.

Noun loss?

A perda—separate from this verb page.

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