Infelizmente, perdemos tempo.

Infelizmente means unfortunately.

It is formed from:

• infeliz = unhappy / unfortunate
• -mente = a suffix that usually works like -ly in English

So infelizmente literally comes from the idea of in an unfortunate way, but in normal English translation it is usually just unfortunately.

Because infelizmente is being used as a sentence adverb, commenting on the whole statement: Unfortunately, we lost time.

In Portuguese, it is very common to put a comma after introductory words like:

• Infelizmente, ...
• Felizmente, ...
• Normalmente, ...
• Hoje, ...

You may also hear the sentence without a strong pause in speech, but in writing the comma is standard here.

Perdemos comes from the verb perder, meaning to lose.

Here, perdemos means we lost.

It is the 1st person plural form, so the subject is we.

Examples with the same pattern:

• Eu perdi = I lost
• Você perdeu = you lost
• Nós perdemos = we lost
• Eles perderam = they lost

Yes. This is a very common question.

Perdemos can be:

• present tense: we lose
• preterite / simple past: we lost

The form is identical for nós in these two tenses.

So how do you know which one it is?
You use context.

In Infelizmente, perdemos tempo, the natural meaning is Unfortunately, we lost time because the sentence sounds like a completed event.

If the context were different, it could be present:

• Quando não planejamos bem, perdemos tempo.
  = When we don’t plan well, we lose time.

Because Portuguese often drops subject pronouns when the verb already makes the subject clear.

• Perdemos already tells you the subject is we
• So nós is optional

You could say:

• Infelizmente, perdemos tempo.
• Infelizmente, nós perdemos tempo.

Both are correct.

Adding nós can give extra emphasis, contrast, or clarity, but it is often unnecessary.

In Portuguese, abstract or general nouns often appear without an article where English might still use one or where learners expect one.

Here, perder tempo is a very common expression meaning:

• to waste time
• literally, to lose time

So perdemos tempo sounds natural and general.

If you say perdemos o tempo, that usually sounds less natural in this context and may suggest some specific time was lost, depending on the situation.

The normal expression is:

• perder tempo = to waste time / lose time

Often, yes.

Literally, perder tempo means to lose time, but in many contexts the most natural English translation is to waste time.

So depending on context:

• Perdemos tempo. = We lost time.
• Perdemos tempo. = We wasted time.

If the meaning has already been shown to the learner, the important thing to know is that Portuguese commonly uses perder tempo where English might prefer waste time.

A rough pronunciation guide is:

een-feh-leez-MEN-chee, pehr-DEH-moos TEM-poo

A few notes:

• mente in Brazilian Portuguese often sounds like MEN-chee
• the r in perdemos is a light tapped r in most Brazilian accents
• unstressed final o often sounds like oo
• tempo is stressed on TEM

This is only an approximation for English speakers, but it helps.

Because Portuguese usually says perder tempo in the singular as a general idea, just like English often says waste time rather than waste times.

So:

• perder tempo = to lose/waste time

The singular here refers to time as a concept or resource, not to one single moment on the clock.

Yes, absolutely.

That version is grammatically correct and means the same thing.

The difference is mainly style:

• Infelizmente, perdemos tempo. = more neutral, very natural
• Infelizmente, nós perdemos tempo. = adds emphasis to we

For example, you might use nós if you want contrast:

• Eles chegaram cedo, mas nós perdemos tempo.
  = They arrived early, but we lost time.

Because sentence adverbs like infelizmente are often placed at the beginning to frame the whole message.

This is very natural in Portuguese:

• Infelizmente, perdemos tempo.
• Felizmente, deu certo.
• Normalmente, ele chega cedo.

You can sometimes place the adverb elsewhere, but the beginning is one of the most common and natural positions.

It is neutral and natural in both spoken and written Brazilian Portuguese.

Nothing in Infelizmente, perdemos tempo. is especially formal or especially casual. It works well in:

• conversation
• messages
• narration
• writing

So it is a very useful everyday sentence pattern.