Waste time - lose time
On this thread the expression
perdieron el tiempo
was translated as "they lost time" but all members except mi novio (
) .
Well, perder el tiempo is waste time, and perder tiempo is lose time.
However, maybe I am not right thinking that you cannot say lose time here.
I would use lose time in the following situation:
I wanted to get from Madrid in Segovia in 2 hours, but it took me 3!! I lost a lot of time in a terrible traffic jam just outside Madrid.
Perdí mucho tiempo en el atasco.
My friend says I am wasting my time telling everybody: don't use personal pronouns! jeje
....que pierdo el tiempo en decirles a todo el mundo....
The difference in Spanish is the use of the article, in English we use a different verb.
Right?
8 Answers
To waste time - is of your own doing.
To lose time is outside your control.
I believe that in the context of the time being no longer available, waste or lose is pretty interchangeable.
The biggest difference, in my opinion, is in how the time got away. If it was by a willful action on ones part, waste is most commonly used. I wasted my time reading that book! ...watching that movie! ...telling those people!
And when something outside of your control is costing you time it results in time lost. You will lose time changing planes in ... I lost time because I didn't have the right tools.
And if anyone wants to argue that is fine because it will prove they are wasting their time but I am sneaking away so that I don't lose any more time! 
I mean, as everybody used lost time in the alvite thread, I was doubting.
Avite said "....perdido un tiempo precioso..."
Many of us who participated in that thread really didn't know how to translate "perder un tiempo" as "to waste time." In English it would make sense to say that Avite "lost a precious time" of his life.
But it makes perfect sense now that you point out that with the article it's translated as "to waste time" and without the article it would be "to lose time."
The biggest difference, in my opinion, is in how the time got away.
This is so true. In English, we do use different verbs to convey this thought. It is interesting that this is conveyed by use of articles in Spanish.
Either way, time is "lost". I think that when we "waste time" as said in English, the guilt is on us. When we "lose" time, usually this is not something that we could have controlled. I am frustrated with others when I "lose" time, but frustrated with myself when I "waste" time.
However, this just occurred to me....Has anyone ever had to "waste" time or "kill" time because they were too early for something?
I was a half hour early for the party, so I killed some time walking around the mall.
How do you express "kill time" in Spanish? Is this colloquial?
De acuerdo con Ian. to waste time is when you could be doing something else, you're "misusing" the time. It could be spent better. To lose time is when you have no control over it, but something delays you.
Exactly.
You're examples are perfect. Without the article it's "lose time" and with the article it's "waste time."
Funny, I would have used the verb "malgastar" for wasting time, but I see from an online search that the verb is for wasting resources, money, etc.
How do you express "kill time" in Spanish? Is this colloquial?
It sure is
matar el tiempo...igualito que en inglés
¿Nosotros no debemos usar pronombres personal? ¿Tú estás seguro?
