Questions & Answers about Non ho mai perso un volo.
Why are there two negative words, non and mai?
Why is mai placed right in the middle of ho and perso?
When using the passato prossimo past tense (which is built with two words here: ho + perso), short adverbs of time like mai (never), già (already), and ancora (yet) are usually tucked right between the helping verb and the past participle.
What is the infinitive (dictionary form) of perso?
It comes from perdere (to lose / to miss). Perso is an irregular past participle. Regular "-ere" verbs usually end in "-uto" in the past, and while perduto is technically a correct word, perso is much more common in modern Italian.
Wait, doesn't perdere mean "to lose"?
Yes, it means both "to lose" and "to miss"! You can use perdere for misplacing an item (like losing your wallet), for losing a sports game, and for missing a ride (like a flight, train, or bus).