Perdre is the verb to lose — keys, a phone, money, time, weight, balance, a friend, a battle, a game, hope, one's mind. It is one of the highest-frequency verbs in French and the verb every learner needs early, because the situations it covers come up constantly in conversation. The conjugation is fully regular: stem perd- with the standard -re endings, past participle perdu, auxiliary avoir. Perdre is part of the vendre family, sharing its template with attendre, rendre, entendre, descendre, répondre, vendre.
The verb's idiomatic reach is wide. Perdre du temps (waste time), perdre l'équilibre (lose one's balance), perdre la tête (go crazy), perdre patience (run out of patience), perdre connaissance (faint), se perdre (get lost — physically or mentally), à perdre haleine (out of breath), perdre de vue (lose sight of). Beyond its plain meaning, the verb anchors a corner of the language that every speaker uses every day. This page is the verb-reference entry: every paradigm, every compound tense, the core uses with examples, and the full body of idioms.
The simple tenses
These are the tenses formed without an auxiliary — the basic conjugational paradigms.
Présent de l'indicatif
The model paradigm for regular -re verbs. Stem perd- takes the endings -s, -s, -∅, -ons, -ez, -ent. The 3sg has no overt ending — bare perd is the form.
| Person | Form | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| je | perds | /pɛʁ/ |
| tu | perds | /pɛʁ/ |
| il / elle / on | perd | /pɛʁ/ |
| nous | perdons | /pɛʁdɔ̃/ |
| vous | perdez | /pɛʁde/ |
| ils / elles | perdent | /pɛʁd/ |
In the singular, the final -d is silent — je perds, tu perds, il perd are all pronounced /pɛʁ/, identical in speech, identical in fact to the noun père (father) and to the imperative. Spelling alone tells you the person. The -d becomes audible in the plural (perdons, perdez, perdent).
A pronunciation note: the e of the stem is /ɛ/ (open e), pronounced like the e in English "bed." Not /e/ (closed e, like é). Non-native speakers sometimes pronounce perd as /peʁ/, which sounds wrong.
Je perds toujours mes clés — je devrais les attacher à un porte-clés voyant.
I'm always losing my keys — I should attach them to a flashy keychain.
On perd un temps fou à attendre cette réponse.
We're wasting an enormous amount of time waiting for this answer.
Tu perds patience trop facilement, prends une grande respiration.
You lose patience too easily, take a deep breath.
Imparfait
Built on the stem perd- plus the regular imparfait endings -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | perdais |
| tu | perdais |
| il / elle / on | perdait |
| nous | perdions |
| vous | perdiez |
| ils / elles | perdaient |
À l'époque, on perdait souvent contact avec les amis qui partaient à l'étranger.
Back then, we often lost touch with friends who went abroad.
Mon grand-père perdait la mémoire petit à petit, c'était difficile à voir.
My grandfather was slowly losing his memory, it was hard to watch.
Passé simple (literary)
Stem perd- plus the -i- family endings.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | perdis |
| tu | perdis |
| il / elle / on | perdit |
| nous | perdîmes |
| vous | perdîtes |
| ils / elles | perdirent |
The circumflex on perdîmes and perdîtes is obligatory.
Il perdit tout courage en voyant la lettre sur la table.
He lost all his courage on seeing the letter on the table. (literary)
Futur simple
Stem perdr- — infinitive minus the final -e.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | perdrai |
| tu | perdras |
| il / elle / on | perdra |
| nous | perdrons |
| vous | perdrez |
| ils / elles | perdront |
Tu perdras du poids si tu fais du sport régulièrement, c'est mathématique.
You'll lose weight if you exercise regularly, it's a matter of math.
On ne perdra rien à essayer — au pire, ça ne marche pas.
We've got nothing to lose by trying — worst case, it doesn't work.
Conditionnel présent
Same perdr- stem with imparfait endings.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | perdrais |
| tu | perdrais |
| il / elle / on | perdrait |
| nous | perdrions |
| vous | perdriez |
| ils / elles | perdraient |
Sans toi, je perdrais complètement la tête.
Without you, I'd completely lose my mind.
Subjonctif présent
Single stem perd- with regular subjunctive endings.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| (que) je | perde |
| (que) tu | perdes |
| (qu')il / elle / on | perde |
| (que) nous | perdions |
| (que) vous | perdiez |
| (qu')ils / elles | perdent |
Je ne veux pas qu'on perde notre temps à discuter de ça.
I don't want us to waste our time arguing about this.
Il est dommage que tu perdes confiance si vite.
It's a shame you lose confidence so quickly.
Impératif
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| (tu) | perds |
| (nous) | perdons |
| (vous) | perdez |
The negative imperative is the more common form in everyday speech — telling someone NOT to lose something:
Ne perds pas ton billet, tu en auras besoin pour rentrer.
Don't lose your ticket, you'll need it to get back in.
Ne perdez pas espoir — il y a toujours une solution.
Don't lose hope — there's always a solution.
Ne perdons pas de temps, on a beaucoup à faire.
Let's not waste time, we have a lot to do.
Participles and gérondif
- Participe passé: perdu (agrees with preceding direct object when avoir is auxiliary)
- Participe présent: perdant
- Gérondif: en perdant
En perdant son père, il a perdu son seul vrai confident.
In losing his father, he lost his one true confidant.
The participle perdu is also widely used as an adjective: un objet perdu (a lost object), un cas perdu (a lost cause), je suis perdu (I'm lost — in every sense).
Je suis complètement perdu dans ce quartier — où est la station de métro ?
I'm completely lost in this neighborhood — where's the metro station?
The noun perdant / perdante (loser) is also derived from the present participle: les perdants de l'élection (the losers of the election).
The compound tenses
Perdre uses avoir as its auxiliary in compound tenses. The reflexive se perdre takes être, like all reflexives.
Passé composé
avoir (présent) + perdu
| Person | Form | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| j' | ai perdu | I lost / I've lost |
| tu | as perdu | you lost |
| il / elle / on | a perdu | he/she/we lost |
| nous | avons perdu | we lost |
| vous | avez perdu | you lost |
| ils / elles | ont perdu | they lost |
J'ai perdu mon portable dans le métro — c'est la deuxième fois cette année !
I lost my phone on the metro — that's the second time this year!
On a perdu le match trois à un, mais on a bien joué.
We lost the match three to one, but we played well.
Past-participle agreement: les clés que j'ai perdues (feminine plural — perdues agrees with the preceding feminine plural direct object).
Plus-que-parfait
avoir (imparfait) + perdu
J'avais déjà perdu deux paires de lunettes ce mois-ci, alors une de plus...
I'd already lost two pairs of glasses this month, so one more...
Compound tenses of se perdre (reflexive — auxiliary être)
être (in respective tense) + perdu(e)(s)
The reflexive se perdre takes être and the participle agrees with the subject.
On s'est perdus dans les ruelles du vieux Lyon, mais c'était plutôt agréable.
We got lost in the alleys of old Lyon, but it was rather nice.
Elle s'est perdue en chemin et est arrivée avec deux heures de retard.
She got lost on the way and arrived two hours late.
The four core uses
1. Lose (a physical thing): perdre quelque chose
The most basic use. Lose objects, money, things you can hold or possess.
J'ai encore perdu mes lunettes — elles doivent être quelque part dans la maison.
I've lost my glasses again — they must be somewhere in the house.
On a perdu beaucoup d'argent dans cet investissement.
We lost a lot of money on that investment.
Tu perds tes clés au moins une fois par semaine, c'est incroyable.
You lose your keys at least once a week, it's incredible.
2. Lose (an abstract thing): perdre la tête, perdre patience, perdre confiance
A vast set of fixed expressions where perdre takes an abstract noun. Most are without an article, or with definite la / le.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| perdre la tête | lose one's mind, go crazy |
| perdre patience | lose patience |
| perdre confiance | lose confidence / trust |
| perdre courage | lose courage / get discouraged |
| perdre espoir | lose hope |
| perdre l'équilibre | lose one's balance |
| perdre connaissance | faint, lose consciousness |
| perdre la mémoire | lose one's memory |
| perdre la vue / l'ouïe | lose one's sight / hearing |
| perdre du poids | lose weight |
| perdre son sang-froid | lose one's cool |
| perdre la face | lose face |
Quand il a entendu la nouvelle, il a complètement perdu la tête.
When he heard the news, he completely lost it.
Je perds patience avec ces enfants, ils n'écoutent rien.
I'm losing patience with these kids, they don't listen to anything.
Elle a perdu connaissance pendant la cérémonie — il faisait beaucoup trop chaud.
She fainted during the ceremony — it was way too hot.
3. Waste (time, money, energy): perdre du temps, perdre de l'argent
A specialized use of "lose" where French maps to English waste. The key cases are perdre du temps (waste time) and perdre son temps (waste one's time). Note that the partitive du gives the abstract sense; possessive son/ma/ton gives the personal.
On perd du temps à attendre — partons sans eux.
We're wasting time waiting — let's leave without them.
Je ne veux pas perdre mon temps avec ce projet, ça ne mènera à rien.
I don't want to waste my time on this project, it'll lead to nothing.
Tu perds ton énergie à essayer de le convaincre, il ne changera pas d'avis.
You're wasting your energy trying to convince him, he won't change his mind.
4. Get lost: se perdre (reflexive)
The reflexive se perdre covers a remarkably broad range. The literal sense is to get lost geographically, but it extends to losing oneself in thought, in a conversation, or in something one is doing.
On s'est perdus en cherchant la maison de tes parents — ton GPS ne marche pas.
We got lost trying to find your parents' house — your GPS doesn't work.
Je me perds dans les explications du prof, c'est trop compliqué.
I'm getting lost in the teacher's explanations, it's too complicated.
Elle se perd toujours dans ses pensées pendant les réunions.
She always loses herself in her thoughts during meetings.
Si vous vous perdez, appelez-moi — j'ai un bon sens de l'orientation.
If you get lost, call me — I have a good sense of direction.
The expression se perdre dans les détails (get lost in the details) and se perdre en conjectures (get lost in speculation) are both common.
Ne te perds pas dans les détails — concentre-toi sur l'essentiel.
Don't get bogged down in the details — focus on what matters.
High-frequency expressions
- perdre du temps / perdre son temps — waste time
- perdre de l'argent — lose money
- perdre la tête — lose one's mind
- perdre patience — lose patience
- perdre confiance / espoir / courage — lose confidence / hope / courage
- perdre l'équilibre — lose one's balance
- perdre connaissance — faint, lose consciousness
- perdre du poids — lose weight
- perdre la face — lose face
- perdre de vue — lose sight of
- à perdre haleine — at full speed, breathlessly (lit. "to losing breath")
- un cas perdu — a lost cause
- un objet perdu — a lost object
- se perdre — get lost (physically, mentally)
- se perdre dans les détails — get bogged down in details
- vous n'y perdrez rien — you won't be sorry / you'll come out ahead
- qui ne risque rien n'a rien (related proverb) — nothing ventured, nothing gained
- perdu pour perdu — already lost, may as well go for it
Il a couru à perdre haleine pour attraper son train.
He ran at top speed to catch his train.
J'ai perdu de vue mes camarades de lycée depuis vingt ans.
I've lost touch with my high school classmates for twenty years.
Bon, perdu pour perdu, je vais lui dire ce que je pense vraiment.
Well, since I've already lost, I might as well tell him what I really think.
Comparison with English
Three friction points for English speakers:
- One verb for "lose" and "waste." English splits the meanings: you LOSE keys but WASTE time. French uses perdre for both. Perdre du temps (waste time), perdre de l'argent (can mean either lose or waste money depending on context). Don't try to use gaspiller (waste) for time — gaspiller son temps exists but is less common than perdre son temps.
- Idiomatic perdre
- abstract noun.
- Se perdre = get lost (broader than English). The reflexive covers physical lost-ness, conceptual confusion, and emotional immersion. English uses different verbs ("get lost," "get confused," "lose oneself"). One verb does it all in French.
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Using gaspiller (waste) where perdre (lose) is the natural choice.
❌ Tu gaspilles ton temps à attendre.
Awkward — for time, the standard verb is perdre.
✅ Tu perds ton temps à attendre.
You're wasting your time waiting.
Mistake 2: Saying perdre mon équilibre (with possessive) instead of perdre l'équilibre (with definite article).
❌ J'ai perdu mon équilibre sur le verglas.
Wrong — fixed expression is perdre l'équilibre, with definite article.
✅ J'ai perdu l'équilibre sur le verglas.
I lost my balance on the ice.
Mistake 3: Forgetting that se perdre takes être in compound tenses.
❌ On a se perdus dans la forêt.
Wrong — reflexive verbs take être, not avoir, and the auxiliary precedes the past participle directly: on s'est perdus.
✅ On s'est perdus dans la forêt.
We got lost in the forest.
Mistake 4: Pronouncing the -d in singular forms.
❌ /ʒə pɛʁd/ for je perds
Wrong — the -d is silent in singular: /ʒə pɛʁ/.
✅ /ʒə pɛʁ/ for je perds
Correct pronunciation — the -d is silent.
Mistake 5: Forgetting agreement on past participle when used as adjective with feminine subject.
❌ Elle est perdu dans la ville. (said of a woman)
Wrong — the past participle as adjective must agree: perdue (f.sg.).
✅ Elle est perdue dans la ville.
She's lost in the city.
Key takeaways
Perdre is a fully regular -re verb — stem perd-, predictable across all paradigms. Auxiliary avoir; participle perdu. The futur and conditional stem is perdr-. Singular forms (perds, perds, perd) are pronounced identically /pɛʁ/, with the -d silent in the singular and audible only in the plural.
The verb's range is huge. Beyond literal "lose physical things," it covers perdre du temps (waste time), the long list of fixed expressions with abstract nouns (perdre la tête, perdre patience, perdre l'équilibre, perdre connaissance, perdre courage), and the reflexive se perdre (get lost — physically, mentally, conversationally). Most of these expressions take definite article la / l' or no article at all — internalize the patterns rather than translating from English possessives.
The participle perdu is also a productive adjective (un cas perdu, un objet perdu, je suis perdu) and gives rise to the noun perdant / perdante (loser). Master perdre and you have mastered one of the most-used regular -re verbs in the language, plus a wing of the lexicon you cannot do without in everyday conversation.
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