Perdere Conjugation in Italian
perdere means “to lose” in English, and it is one of the first verbs Italian learners meet — it sits at number 76 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for Italian verbs. It means to lose something and to miss a train or a chance, and it is irregular in the passato remoto and the past participle: the participle is perso, while the present is regular. This page gives you the complete conjugation of perdere — every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle — with notes, examples, common mistakes and a quiz. Here is the verb in a natural sentence: “Io perdo le chiavi ogni giorno.” — “I lose the keys.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: perdere
- English: to lose
- Verb type: Irregular -ere verb
- Irregular in: passato-remoto, past-participle, present-perfect, pluperfect
- Gerund: perdendo
- Present participle: perdente
- Past participle: perso
- Auxiliary: avere (all perfect tenses are formed with avere + the past participle)
- Ending: -ere verbs; pattern ere in the verified tables
Pronunciation
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for perdere, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Learn the spelling of the forms first, and listen to a native speaker for the sounds rather than trusting an invented transcription. The forms below are the ones that matter: once you can read perdere in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about perdere
- It is irregular in 4 tense(s): passato-remoto, past-participle, present-perfect, pluperfect. Learn those forms as a set instead of guessing them from the infinitive, because the stem changes in ways no rule predicts.
- The perfect tenses use avere: the passato prossimo is formed with avere in the present plus the past participle perso. The tables on this page give the participle in the masculine singular form, exactly as it appears in the verified dump; agreement with the subject is a separate step that depends on the sentence, not on the verb table.
- The participles are perdente and perso: keep both in mind as you read the tables, because the present participle appears as an adjective and the past participle appears in every perfect tense. If you know those two forms and the present tense, you already know the skeleton of the whole conjugation.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for perdere. Learn the present tense first, then the passato prossimo and the imperfect, and add the remaining tenses one at a time.
Present indicative (presente)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | perdo |
| tu | perdi |
| lui/lei | perde |
| noi | perdiamo |
| voi | perdete |
| loro | perdono |
The present indicative is used for habits, facts and things happening now. For example: “Io perdo le chiavi ogni giorno.” — “I lose the keys”
Passato remoto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | persi |
| tu | perdesti |
| lui/lei | perse |
| noi | perdemmo |
| voi | perdeste |
| loro | persero |
The passato remoto is used for completed actions in the distant past, mostly in written and literary Italian and in the south of Italy. For example: “Io persi le chiavi ieri.” — “I lost the keys”
Imperfect (imperfetto)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | perdevo |
| tu | perdevi |
| lui/lei | perdeva |
| noi | perdevamo |
| voi | perdevate |
| loro | perdevano |
The imperfect is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. For example: “Io perdevo le chiavi una volta.” — “I used to lose the keys”
Future (futuro semplice)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | perderò |
| tu | perderai |
| lui/lei | perderà |
| noi | perderemo |
| voi | perderete |
| loro | perderanno |
The future is used for what will happen, for predictions and for probability. For example: “Io perderò le chiavi domani.” — “I will lose the keys”
Conditional (condizionale)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | perderei |
| tu | perderesti |
| lui/lei | perderebbe |
| noi | perderemmo |
| voi | perdereste |
| loro | perderebbero |
The conditional is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. For example: “Io perderei le chiavi un giorno.” — “I would lose the keys”
Present perfect (passato prossimo)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | ho perso |
| tu | hai perso |
| lui/lei | ha perso |
| noi | abbiamo perso |
| voi | avete perso |
| loro | hanno perso |
The passato prossimo is used for completed actions in the past, especially in spoken Italian. For example: “Lui ha perso le chiavi questa settimana.” — “He has lost the keys”
Pluperfect (trapassato prossimo)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | avevo perso |
| tu | avevi perso |
| lui/lei | aveva perso |
| noi | avevamo perso |
| voi | avevate perso |
| loro | avevano perso |
The pluperfect is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Io avevo perso le chiavi prima della festa.” — “I had lost the keys”
Future perfect (futuro anteriore)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | avrò perso |
| tu | avrai perso |
| lui/lei | avrà perso |
| noi | avremo perso |
| voi | avrete perso |
| loro | avranno perso |
The future perfect is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Io avrò perso le chiavi per domani.” — “I will have lost the keys”
Conditional perfect (condizionale passato)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | avrei perso |
| tu | avresti perso |
| lui/lei | avrebbe perso |
| noi | avremmo perso |
| voi | avreste perso |
| loro | avrebbero perso |
The conditional perfect is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Io avrei perso le chiavi ieri.” — “I would have lost the keys”
Present subjunctive (congiuntivo presente)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | perda |
| tu | perda |
| lui/lei | perda |
| noi | perdiamo |
| voi | perdiate |
| loro | perdano |
The present subjunctive is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after che. For example: “È importante che io perda le chiavi.” — “It is important that I lose the keys”
Imperfect subjunctive (congiuntivo imperfetto)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | perdessi |
| tu | perdessi |
| lui/lei | perdesse |
| noi | perdessimo |
| voi | perdeste |
| loro | perdessero |
The imperfect subjunctive is used in the past for wishes and hypotheticals after che, and in if-clauses. For example: “Era importante che io perdessi le chiavi.” — “It was important that I lose the keys”
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | perdi |
| lui/lei | perda |
| noi | perdiamo |
| voi | perdete |
| loro | perdano |
The affirmative imperative is used for direct commands and instructions. For example: “Perdi le chiavi!” — “Lose the keys!”
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | perdere |
| lui/lei | perda |
| noi | perdiamo |
| voi | perdiate |
| loro | perdano |
The negative imperative is used for prohibitions and negative commands. For example: “Non perdere le chiavi.” — “Do not lose the keys.”
Gerund
| Form | Italian |
|---|---|
| Gerund | perdendo |
The gerund is used for an action happening at the same time as another action, often with stare for the progressive. For example: “Perdendo le chiavi, imparo molto.” — “While losing the keys, I learn a lot.”
Present participle
| Form | Italian |
|---|---|
| Present participle | perdente |
The present participle is used as an adjective, describing an ongoing action. For example, the participle perdente is used to describe something that is happening at the same time as the main action, much like an English -ing adjective.
Past participle
| Form | Italian |
|---|---|
| Past participle | perso |
The past participle is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Io ho perso le chiavi questa settimana.” — “I have lost the keys.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with perdere, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the Italian and try to produce it from the English.
- “Io perdo le chiavi ogni giorno.” — “I lose the keys”
- “Tu perdesti le chiavi ieri.” — “You lost the keys”
- “Lui perdeva le chiavi una volta.” — “He used to lose the keys”
- “Io perderò le chiavi domani.” — “I will lose the keys”
- “Tu perderesti le chiavi un giorno.” — “You would lose the keys”
- “Lui ha perso le chiavi questa settimana.” — “He has lost the keys”
- “Io avevo perso le chiavi prima della festa.” — “I had lost the keys”
- “Tu avrai perso le chiavi per domani.” — “You will have lost the keys”
- “È importante che io perda le chiavi.” — “It is important that I lose the keys”
- “Perdi le chiavi!” — “Lose the keys!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Io perdere le chiavi.”
✓ Right: “Io perdo le chiavi ogni giorno.”
The infinitive perdere never takes a subject. After io you need the conjugated present form perdo.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Io perdi le chiavi.”
✓ Right: “Io perdo le chiavi ogni giorno.”
perdi is the tu form, not the io form. Match the verb to the subject every time: io goes with perdo.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Io perdo le chiavi ieri.”
✓ Right: “Io ho perso le chiavi questa settimana.”
Yesterday points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the passato prossimo ho perso for a finished action yesterday.
4. Using the wrong auxiliary in the passato prossimo
✗ Wrong: “Io sono perso le chiavi.”
✓ Right: “Io ho perso le chiavi questa settimana.”
The passato prossimo of perdere is formed with avere plus the past participle perso: the io form is ho perso. Check the auxiliary in the table above before you build a perfect tense.
5. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger
✗ Wrong: “È importante che io perdo le chiavi.”
✓ Right: “È importante che io perda le chiavi.”
After è importante che Italian needs the subjunctive, so use perda here, not the indicative perdo.
6. Using the gerund instead of the past participle in a perfect tense
✗ Wrong: “Io ho perdendo le chiavi.”
✓ Right: “Io ho perso le chiavi questa settimana.”
The perfect tenses need the past participle perso, not the gerund perdendo. The gerund belongs in progressive constructions, never after an auxiliary in a perfect tense.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on perdere. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the io form of perdere in the Present indicative?
- A) perdi
- B) perdo
- C) perde
- D) perdiamo
What is the lui/lei form of perdere in the Passato remoto?
- A) persi
- B) perdesti
- C) perse
- D) perdemmo
What is the noi form of perdere in the Imperfect?
- A) perdevo
- B) perdevi
- C) perdeva
- D) perdevamo
What is the tu form of perdere in the Future?
- A) perderai
- B) perderò
- C) perderà
- D) perderemo
What is the io form of perdere in the Conditional?
- A) perderesti
- B) perderei
- C) perderebbe
- D) perderemmo
What is the lui/lei form of perdere in the Present perfect (passato prossimo)?
- A) ho perso
- B) hai perso
- C) ha perso
- D) abbiamo perso
What is the lui/lei form of perdere in the Present subjunctive?
- A) perdiamo
- B) perdiate
- C) perdano
- D) perda
What is the io form of perdere in the Imperfect subjunctive?
- A) perdessi
- B) perdesse
- C) perdessimo
- D) perdeste
What is the gerund of perdere?
- A) perso
- B) perdendo
- C) perdere
- D) perdo
What does perdere mean in English?
- A) to sit down
- B) to get dressed
- C) to lose
- D) to call
Answer key
- B) perdo — the correct form is perdo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) perse — the correct form is perse. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) perdevamo — the correct form is perdevamo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) perderai — the correct form is perderai. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) perderei — the correct form is perderei. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) ha perso — the correct form is ha perso. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) perda — the correct form is perda. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) perdessi — the correct form is perdessi. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) perdendo — the correct form is perdendo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) to lose — the correct form is to lose. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
Frequently asked questions
What does perdere mean in English?
perdere means “to lose”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is perdere regular or irregular?
perdere is irregular: it is irregular in passato-remoto, past-participle, present-perfect, pluperfect. The gerund is perdendo and the past participle is perso.
What are the gerund and past participle of perdere?
The gerund is perdendo — use it with stare for the progressive. The past participle is perso — use it with avere for the perfect tenses, as in ho perso.
Which auxiliary does perdere take in the passato prossimo?
perdere takes avere in the passato prossimo: the io form is ho perso. All four perfect tenses on this page are built with avere plus the past participle perso.
How do I say “I lose” in Italian?
Say “Io perdo le chiavi ogni giorno.” — “I lose the keys” The io form of the present is perdo, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of perdere — every tense of perdere in one place.
- Perdere in the passato prossimo tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Perdere examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice questions for this verb.
- Italian passato prossimo tense guide — the full guide to the passato prossimo tense in Italian.
- Italian irregular verbs — every common irregular Italian verb, grouped by pattern.
- Sedersi conjugation — another everyday Italian verb.
- Tenere conjugation — another everyday Italian verb.
- Italian verbs — the full hub of Italian conjugation pages.
- VerbFlow home — all languages, tools and verb lists.
- Verb Conjugator — practise perdere with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise perdere with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise perdere with the interactive tool.