Hey there! Are you ready to study Portuguese? Let’s learn the verb lose in Portuguese. Let’s take a look at its conjugation and its regular and irregular forms. Additionally, let’s practice the verb with an exercise!
What is “to lose” in Portuguese?
To lose in Portuguese = perder.
Audio: perder
This is the verb Brazilians use when talking about losing objects, games, opportunities, or even patience.
Want to learn how to conjugate perder and see how Brazilians really use it in daily conversations?
Keep reading and we’ll explore the verb step by step!
Conjugation of Perder in Portuguese
Pay close attention, because this verb has a few irregularities in some tenses. The regular verb endings are marked in bold, while the irregular ones have an asterisk next to them! Take a look:
Indicative
Imperative
Subjunctive
Other Tenses
Listen to “Perder” in Brazilian Portuguese
Learning a new verb becomes much easier when you can hear how Brazilians actually pronounce it. The verb perder is very common in daily conversations in Brazil. People use it when talking about losing objects, missing opportunities, forgetting things, or even losing patience.
Listen to the sentences below and repeat them out loud. Try to imitate the rhythm and pronunciation of Brazilian Portuguese.
How to Use Perder in Portuguese (Real-Life Meanings + Expressions)
Examples with Perder
Perdi meu celular.
I lost my cellphone.
Ele perdeu o jogo ontem.
He lost the game yesterday.
Ela perdeu muito dinheiro no investimento.
She lost a lot of money in the investment.
In everyday Brazilian Portuguese, perder is used in many situations where something is no longer with you, whether physically or figuratively.
“Lost” in Portuguese: Perdido / Perdida
If you want to say “lost” as an adjective in Portuguese, the word is usually perdido (masculine) or perdida (feminine).
For example:
Estou perdido.
I’m lost. (male speaker)
Estou perdida.
I’m lost. (female speaker)
You might also see this word in public places. A very common sign in Brazil is:
Achados e Perdidos
Lost and Found
So if you ever lose something in Brazil, look for the Achados e Perdidos desk!
Perder-se = To Get Lost
When you want to say “to get lost”, Portuguese often uses the reflexive form:
perder-se
This means someone lost their way, not that they lost an object.
Examples:
Eu me perdi no centro da cidade.
I got lost in the city center.
Eles se perderam no caminho para a praia.
They got lost on the way to the beach.
So remember:
- Perder → lose something
- Perder-se → get lost
Perder = To Miss (Bus, Flight, Events, Opportunities)
Another extremely common meaning of perder in Portuguese is “to miss.”
Brazilians use perder when talking about missing transportation, classes, shows, or opportunities.
Examples:
Perdi o ônibus.
I missed the bus.
Ela perdeu o voo.
She missed the flight.
Não quero perder o show.
I don’t want to miss the show.
Você vai perder a aula.
You’re going to miss the class.
So if you’re late for something in Brazil, you’ll probably say perdi!
Common Idioms with Perder
Let’s learn a few expressions now with the verb to lose in Portuguese:
| Perder a cabeça | When someone does something without considering the consequences. |
| Perder a paciência | When someone can’t be patient anymore with something or someone. |
| Perder o fôlego | When someone can’t catch their breath, both figuratively and literally. |
| Perder a hora | When someone is late for something. |
| Perder tempo | Allow an opportunity to pass by / To Waste time |
| Perder a compostura | When someone stops acting normally because they got surprised/impatient/ etc. |
| Perder a fome | When someone isn’t feeling hungry anymore. |
Let’s observe a few examples using these expressions:
Não perca a cabeça por causa disso, você vai conseguir passar na prova! Acredite!
Don’t lose your head over it, you’ll make it through the test! Have faith!
Ela perdeu a paciência com a criança que chorava alto.
She lost patience with the child who was crying loudly.
Fiquei tão apavorado que perdi o fôlego totalmente!
I was so terrified that I completely lost my breath!
Ela sempre perde a hora e chega atrasada nos compromissos.
She always loses track of time and is late for appointments.
Não perca tempo e venha estudar no Brazil com a Rio & Learn.
Don’t waste your time and come study in Brazil with Rio & Learn.
Ana é sempre tão elegante, mas naquele dia ficou tão irritada que perdeu a compostura!
Ana is always so elegant, but that day she was so irritated that she lost her composure!
Depois que vi aquela cena do filme de terror, fiquei tão enojada que perdi a fome!
After I saw that horror movie scene, I was so disgusted that I lost my hunger!
Hey, don’t lose your time trying to learn Portuguese in a dull way! Come learn Portuguese online with us, and you will have fun while you learn! We are sure you will enjoy even if you need to get ready for important exams, like CELPE-Bras!
Exercises with Lose in Portuguese
Put the sentences together using the verb to lose in Portuguese:
- partida – Eles – a – sábado. – perderão – no
___________________________________________ - perca – esse – Talvez – evento – eu
__________________________________ - hora? – que – a – ela – que – Será – perdeu
__________________________________________ - aqui – estão – Vocês – tempo – perdendo
_________________________________________ - sempre – chaves – perdíamos – antigamente – Nós – as
_______________________________________________________ - oportunidade! – essa – perca – Não
___________________________________ - peso – Quando – você – diferença – sentirá – a – perder – diferença
___________________________________________________________________ - perdido – Paula – dinheiro – remédios – em – tem – muito
_________________________________________________________ - tempo – Nós – ficando – perderíamos – aqui – muito
____________________________________________________ - Vasco – perder – O – vai – partida – essa
_______________________________________
FAQ: Lose / Lost in Portuguese
What is “to lose” in Portuguese?
To lose in Portuguese is perder.
It’s a highly flexible verb used for losing possessions, losing a competition, or losing something abstract (like an opportunity or control of a situation). In other words, it covers both literal loss and figurative loss.
Example:
Perdi minha carteira.
I lost my wallet.
How do you say “I’m lost” in Portuguese?
To say “I’m lost”, Portuguese usually uses perdido (masculine) or perdida (feminine).
Here, lost works as an adjective describing your state (you don’t know where you are or how to get somewhere).
Example:
Estou perdida aqui.
I’m lost here.
How do you say “to get lost” in Portuguese?
To say “to get lost”, Portuguese commonly uses the reflexive form perder-se.
This is different from losing an object: it describes a person losing their way, as if you “lost yourself” while moving through a place.
Example:
A gente se perdeu no caminho.
We got lost on the way.
How do you say “miss the bus/flight” in Portuguese?
Portuguese uses perder to express missing something you were supposed to catch or attend, especially when it happens because of timing. This includes transport (bus/flight) and can extend to appointments, deadlines, or chances.
Example:
Perdi a reunião.
I missed the meeting.
What’s the difference between perder and perder-se?
- Perder focuses on something external that you lose (an item, a game, a chance, time).
- Perder-se focuses on the person’s orientation. You lose your way (physically or sometimes even figuratively, like getting confused).
Example:
Ele se perdeu na explicação.
He got lost in the explanation. (He got confused.)
Well, now that you know more about the verb lose in Portuguese, you can’t miss our free Portuguese classes and also the opportunity to learn Portuguese in Brazil! Sounds great, right? I hope you enjoyed this lesson and that you keep studying with us!
We’ll see you again in our next A Dica do Dia!
Kisses!
Click on the links below to see more related Dicas
Brazilian Superstitions
Olha só in Portuguese
Regular verbs in -ER
Verbs in -ER in the simple past
Answers
- Eles perderão a partida no sábado.
- Talvez eu perca esse evento.
- Será que ela perdeu a hora?
- Vocês estão perdendo aqui.
- Nós sempre perdíamos as chaves antigamente.
- Não perca essa oportunidade!
- Quando você perder peso, sentirá a diferença.
- Paula tem perdido muito dinheiro em remédios.
- Nós perderíamos muito tempo ficando aqui.
- O Vasco vai perder essa partida.
Online Academic Coordinator at Rio & Learn Portuguese School.
Experienced educational coordinator and teacher since 2007, adept in curriculum development, creating physical and digital educational materials, and leveraging online platforms to enhance learning outcomes
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