perder

=

to lose

verb

perder

transitive verb

1. to lose (dinero, objeto, amigo)

2. to waste (desperdiciar) (tiempo); to miss (oportunidad)

no pierdas el tiempo con o en tonterías -> don't waste your time on nonsense like that
no hay tiempo que perder -> there's no time to lose

3. to miss (tren, vuelo)

4. to lose, to leak (tener un escape de) (agua)

ese camión va perdiendo aceite -> this lorry is losing o leaking oil

5. to be the ruin of (perjudicar)

le pierde su pasión por el juego -> his passion for gambling is ruining him

intransitive verb

6. to lose (salir derrotado)

no te pelees con él, que llevas las de perder -> don't get into a fight with him, you're bound to lose

7. to go downhill (empeorar)

8. to leak (tener un escape) (de agua, aceite)

also:

echar algo a perder -> to spoil something
echarse a perder -> to go off, to spoil (alimento)

perderse

pronomial verb

1. to get lost (extraviarse)

me he perdido -> I'm lost
se me ha perdido el reloj -> I've lost my watch

2. to disappear (desaparecer)

¡piérdete! (informal) -> get lost!

3. to be wasted (desperdiciarse)

4. (desaprovechar)

perderse algo -> to miss out on something
¡no te lo pierdas! -> don't miss it!

5. to be beyond salvation (por los vicios)

also:

perderse por -> to be mad about (anhelar)

perder [per-derr’]

article & verb transitive

1. To lose, to be deprived of something.

2. To lose, to forfeit, to suffer diminution of.

3. To lose, to squander away, to lavish, to misspend.

4. To lose, to miss, not to find.

5. To lose, to ruin (arruinar), to send, to perdition.

6. To lose, to be disappointed, not to obtain what has been wished (decaer).

7. To spoil, to mar, to damage.

8. To bet, to lay a wager.

Perder la ocasión or el lance -> to let an opportunity slip
Perder terreno -> to lose ground
Perder tiempo -> (a) to lose time, or not to profit of it; (b) to labor in vain
He perdido la costumbre -> I have got out of the habit
No pierde nada -> he doesn't miss a thing

verb reflexive

9. (1.) To go astray, to miss one’s way.

10. To be lost (desaparecer), to be confounded, to be bewildered.

11. To forget or lose the thread of one’s subject or discourse.

12. To be spoiled (arruinarse), to be lost or given up to vice.

13. To fall into disuse, to be out of fashion.

14. To cease to be perceived by sight or hearing.

15. To run risk of losing life.

16. To love excessively.

17. To be shipwrecked. (Nautical)

18. To sustain a loss.

19. To congeal itself: applied to rivers which disappear under the earth and rise again.

20. To go on the streets (prostituirse). (Ante Meridian & Latin American) (m)

Tener que perder -> to be a person of credit, to have much to lose
Perder los estribos -> to lose patience
Salir perdiendo -> to lose
Ha perdido mucho en mi estimación -> he has gone down a lot in my estimation
Echar a perder -> to spoil
Nada se pierde con intentar -> there's no harm in trying

Verb Conjugation for "perder"

Infinitive: perder

Gerund: perdiendo

Participle: perdido

	Presente	Pretérito	Imperfect	Futuro	Subjuntivo
Yo	pierdo	perdí	perdía	perderé	pierda
Tú	pierdes	perdiste	perdías	perderás	pierdas
Ella/Él/Usted	pierde	perdió	perdía	perderá	pierda
Nosotros	perdemos	perdimos	perdíamos	perderemos	perdamos
Vosotros	perdéis	perdisteis	perdíais	perderéis	perdáis
Ellos/Ustedes	pierden	perdieron	perdían	perderán	pierdan

Complete perder conjugation

"perder" in the Answers forum


Q:	Perder in the usted command form?
A:	Yes, it is.

Q:	perder mi tiempo o malgastar mi tiempo?
A:	Both "perder" and "malgastar" are used, although the former is more common. You also have "desperdiciar". You can say "Es un desperdicio" or "Es una pérdida…

Q:	Hacerte perder el tiempo
A:	I don't like wasting your time. But this way is more natural sounding... I don't want to waste your time.