Spanish uses 'perder' for both, but English distinguishes between not catching something and being defeated.
Verb. To fail to catch or reach something in time, or to feel the absence of someone or something.
I missed the bus this morning.
Perdí el autobús esta mañana.
Do not miss this opportunity.
No pierdas esta oportunidad.
I miss you so much.
Te extraño mucho.
Verb. To fail to win a competition, to misplace an object, or to be deprived of something.
Our team lost the game 2-0.
Nuestro equipo perdió el partido 2-0.
I lost my keys somewhere in the house.
Perdí mis llaves en algún lugar de la casa.
He lost his job during the crisis.
Él perdió su trabajo durante la crisis.
Common mistake
Using "lose" when you mean you did not catch something in time. Wrong: "I lost the bus." (correct: I missed the bus.) Or using "miss" for misplaced objects. Wrong: "I missed my keys." (correct: I lost my keys.)
Trick to remember it
"Miss" = fail to catch something that passes by (the bus, the flight, an opportunity) or feel the absence of someone. "Lose" = end up without something (lose a game, misplace an object, lose a job). Did the bus leave without you? Miss. Do you not know where your keys are? Lose.
Quick rule
Did something pass by without you, or did you arrive too late? Use "miss". Did you fail to win, or do you no longer have something you had? Use "lose".
Did you know?
"Miss" has three distinct uses that confuse Spanish speakers: 1) not catching something ("miss the bus"), 2) longing for someone ("I miss you"), and 3) failing to hit a target ("He missed the goal"). In Spanish these translate differently: perder, extrañar, and fallar.
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
Hurry up! We are going to _____ the train.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
Our team _____ the match 3-1. We played badly.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Did something pass by without you, or did you arrive too late? Use "miss". Did you fail to win, or do you no longer have something you had? Use "lose".
Using "lose" when you mean you did not catch something in time. Wrong: "I lost the bus." (correct: I missed the bus.) Or using "miss" for misplaced objects. Wrong: "I missed my keys." (correct: I lost my keys.)
"Miss" = fail to catch something that passes by (the bus, the flight, an opportunity) or feel the absence of someone. "Lose" = end up without something (lose a game, misplace an object, lose a job). Did the bus leave without you? Miss. Do you not know where your keys are? Lose.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy