Perder Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish

The present tense of perder — to lose — is the form you need for habits, facts and what is happening now. Perder means to lose and to miss: perder las llaves, perder el autobús, perder el tiempo. It is an e → ie stem-changing verb (pierdo, pierdes, pierde). Perder also means to waste: no pierdas el tiempo. This page gives you the complete present tense table for perder, how it is formed, when to use it, the mistakes learners make with it, and a quiz to check yourself. The first example shows it in action: “Yo pierdo las llaves a menudo.” — “I often lose my keys”.

Present tense conjugation of perder

Every form in the table below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for perder. Perder is an e → ie stem-changing irregular -er verb (irregular in present, present-subjunctive, imperative-affirmative, imperative-negative), so watch out for the forms that break the pattern — they are the ones learners need to memorise.

Present tense indicative — perder

Person Form
yo pierdo
tú pierdes
él/ella/Ud. pierde
nosotros/as perdemos
vosotros/as perdéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. pierden

The gerund of perder is perdiendo and the past participle is perdido. You need the participle for the perfect tenses and the gerund for the progressive with estar.

How the present tense of perder is formed

The present tense of perder does not follow the regular pattern. It has a e → ie stem change, so the stem vowel changes in the stressed forms. If perder were regular, the present tense forms would be yo → perdo, tú → perdes, él/ella/Ud. → perde, nosotros/as → perdemos, vosotros/as → perdéis, ellos/ellas/Uds. → perden — but perder breaks the pattern in this tense: the forms are pierdo, pierdes, pierde, perdemos, perdéis and pierden.

The stem change affects the stressed forms only: pierdo, pierdes, pierde and pierden change, while perdemos and perdéis keep the plain stem. That is the rule for every e → ie stem-changing verb, and it is why the nosotros and vosotros forms are the safe ones to fall back on when you are unsure.

A note on spelling: the written accents in this tense are part of the form, not decoration. In the present tense, perdéis carries an accent, and leaving it out changes the pronunciation and, in writing, marks the form as wrong. Copy the forms from the table above exactly, accents included.

When to use the present tense of perder

1. Habits and routines

Use the present for things you do regularly. For example, with perder: “Yo pierdo las llaves a menudo.” — “I often lose my keys”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

2. General truths and facts

Use the present for things that are always true. For example, with perder: “Ella pierde el autobús casi siempre.” — “She almost always misses the bus”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

3. What is happening right now

Use the present for actions in progress at this moment. For example, with perder: “Nosotros perdemos mucho tiempo en reuniones.” — “We waste a lot of time in meetings”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

4. Scheduled plans and the near future

Use the present for fixed plans, especially with a time expression. For example, with perder: “Ellos pierden dinero con la crisis.” — “They lose money because of the crisis”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

Present vs future: perder now, perder later

The present and the future both talk about things that have not happened yet in one sense, but they are not interchangeable. The present is for what is true now or already fixed; the future is for what will happen and is not yet certain. Compare the pairs below — the present form comes from this page, the future form from the full conjugation table.

  • Present tense tense: “Yo pierdo las llaves todos los días.” — “I lose my keys every day.”

  • Future: “Yo perderé las llaves mañana.” — “Tomorrow I will lose my keys.”

  • Present tense tense: “Ella pierde las llaves ahora.” — “She loses my keys now.”

  • Future: “Ella perderá las llaves la semana que viene.” — “Next week she will lose my keys.”

  • Present tense tense: “Nosotros perdemos las llaves en clase.” — “We lose my keys in class.”

  • Future: “Nosotros perderemos las llaves el lunes.” — “On Monday we will lose my keys.”

Example sentences: perder in the present tense

Six sentences using only the present tense of perder, with English translations. Read them aloud — saying the forms is the fastest way to fix them in memory.

  • “Yo pierdo las llaves a menudo.” — “I often lose my keys.”
  • “Ella pierde el autobús casi siempre.” — “She almost always misses the bus.”
  • “Nosotros perdemos mucho tiempo en reuniones.” — “We waste a lot of time in meetings.”
  • “Ellos pierden dinero con la crisis.” — “They lose money because of the crisis.”
  • “¿Tú pierdes la paciencia con facilidad?” — “Do you lose patience easily?”
  • “Vosotros perdéis el tiempo con tonterías.” — “You waste time on silly things.”

Common mistakes with perder in the present tense

Mistake 1

Wrong: Yo perdo las llaves.

Right: Yo pierdo las llaves.

Perder changes e to ie: pierdo, not perdo.

Mistake 2

Wrong: Perder a el autobús — wrong construction.

Right: Ella pierde el autobús.

To miss the bus is perder el autobús, with no preposition.

Mistake 3

Wrong: Using the plain stem in a stressed form.

Right: Use the changed stem: pierdo.

The e → ie stem change applies to the stressed forms of perder — the yo form is pierdo, not the plain stem.

Quiz: perder in the present tense

Eight questions on the present tense of perder. Answers with explanations follow each question.

1. What is the yo form of perder in the present tense?

  • A) pierdo
  • B) pierdes
  • C) pierde
  • D) perdemos

Answer: A — The yo form in the present tense is pierdo.

2. What is the tú form of perder in the present tense?

  • A) pierdo
  • B) pierde
  • C) perdemos
  • D) pierdes

Answer: D — The tú form in the present tense is pierdes.

3. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of perder in the present tense?

  • A) pierdes
  • B) perdemos
  • C) pierde
  • D) pierdo

Answer: C — The él/ella/Ud. form in the present tense is pierde.

4. What is the nosotros/as form of perder in the present tense?

  • A) pierde
  • B) perdemos
  • C) pierdo
  • D) pierdes

Answer: B — The nosotros/as form in the present tense is perdemos.

5. Fill in the blank: “Yo ___ las llaves a menudo.” (I often lose my keys.)

  • A) pierdo
  • B) pierdes
  • C) pierde
  • D) perdemos

Answer: A — The sentence needs pierdo.

6. Fill in the blank: “Ella ___ el autobús casi siempre.” (She almost always misses the bus.)

  • A) pierdo
  • B) pierdes
  • C) perdemos
  • D) pierde

Answer: D — The sentence needs pierde.

7. Which sentence is correct?

  • A) Yo perdo las llaves.
  • B) Yo pierdo las llaves.

Answer: B — Perder changes e to ie: pierdo, not perdo.

8. Which sentence is correct?

  • A) Ella pierde el autobús.
  • B) Perder a el autobús — wrong construction.

Answer: A — To miss the bus is perder el autobús, with no preposition.

Frequently asked questions

Is perder regular in the present tense?

No. perder is irregular in the present tense: the forms are pierdo, pierdes, pierde, perdemos, perdéis and pierden. There is no rule that produces them from the infinitive, so they have to be learnt as a set — the quiz above is a good place to start.

What is the yo form of perder in the present tense?

It is pierdo. The yo form is the one learners use most and the one that most often breaks the pattern — for perder it is the form to learn first, before the rest of the table.

When do I use the present tense of perder instead of the preterite?

Use the present when the action is a habit, a fact, or happening now, and the preterite when it is a finished action in the past. If you can add “yesterday” to the sentence and it still makes sense, you almost certainly need the preterite, not the present.

How can I remember the present tense forms of perder?

Say the six forms aloud in order — pierdo, pierdes, pierde, perdemos, perdéis, pierden — three times a day for a week, always in a sentence, never as a bare list. Then use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test yourself, and the full conjugation page for perder to see the verb in every tense.

Say it yourself

Reading is not enough — say the verb aloud before you move on. Use the forms from the tables on this page and answer these three prompts as full sentences. First, say a sentence about yourself in the present tense: “Yo pierdo…”. Second, say a sentence about yesterday in the preterite: “Ayer yo perdí…”. Third, say a sentence about tomorrow in the future: “Mañana yo perderé…”. If you can answer all three without looking at the tables, the forms are starting to stick. If you hesitate, go back to the examples above, read them aloud twice, and try again. Speaking the forms is what turns a table you have seen into a verb you can use.

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