verlieren
to lose
To no longer have something because you no longer know where it is; to misplace something.
EXAMPLE
Ich glaube, ich habe meinen Regenschirm im Zug verloren.
I think I lost my umbrella on the train.
verlieren
to lose
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Meanings
verlieren
to lose
To be defeated in a game, competition, or fight; not to win.
EXAMPLE
Unsere Mannschaft hat das Finale leider mit 1:2 verloren.
Unfortunately, our team lost the final 2–1.
verlieren
to lose
To lose something abstract such as a job, a right, one's life, or consciousness.
EXAMPLE
Durch die Umstrukturierung hat er seine Stelle verloren.
He lost his job because of the restructuring.
verlieren
to lose
To no longer have a quality, feeling, or ability.
EXAMPLE
Auch in schwierigen Zeiten hat sie nie die Hoffnung verloren.
Even in difficult times, she never lost hope.
sich verlieren
to get lost
To lose one's orientation and no longer know where one is; to get lost.
EXAMPLE
Wir haben uns im dichten Wald komplett verloren.
We got completely lost in the dense forest.
verlieren
to lose
To decrease in quantity, weight, or intensity.
EXAMPLE
Der Autoreifen verliert langsam Luft.
The car tire is slowly losing air.
sich verlieren in
to lose oneself in
To concentrate very intensely on something and forget one's surroundings.
EXAMPLE
Er kann sich stundenlang in den Details seiner Modelleisenbahn verlieren.
He can lose himself for hours in the details of his model railway.
Usage tips
Inseparable verb
'Verlieren' (to lose) is an inseparable verb. The prefix 'ver-' remains firmly attached to the verb stem in all tenses and sentence constructions. This prefix often suggests a loss or a negative result.
EXAMPLE
Ich hoffe, dass ich meinen Job nicht verliere.
I hope I don't lose my job.
Perfect tense with 'haben'
The perfect tense of 'verlieren' (to lose) is always formed with the auxiliary verb 'haben' (to have), even when it describes a change or a loss. So it is always 'ich habe verloren' (I have lost / I lost).
EXAMPLE
Er hat gestern seine Brieftasche verloren.
He lost his wallet yesterday.
Word family
The corresponding noun for the verb 'verlieren' (to lose) is 'der Verlust' (loss). When you lose something, you suffer a loss.
EXAMPLE
Der Verlust seines Arbeitsplatzes war ein schwerer Schlag für ihn.
The loss of his job was a heavy blow for him.
Typical collocations
When 'verlieren' (to lose) describes the loss of an abstract quality, it is often combined with certain nouns. Common phrases are: 'die Geduld verlieren' (to lose patience), 'die Hoffnung verlieren' (to lose hope), 'den Mut verlieren' (to lose courage), or 'das Interesse verlieren' (to lose interest).
EXAMPLE
Nach einer Stunde Wartezeit verlor er die Geduld.
After waiting for an hour, he lost patience.
Reflexive verb
The form 'sich verlieren' (to get lost) is reflexive and means that one loses one's orientation or gets lost. The reflexive pronoun (sich, mich, dich, etc.) is necessary here.
EXAMPLE
Ohne Karte hätten wir uns im Gebirge sicher verloren.
Without a map, we would surely have gotten lost in the mountains.
Use with 'an'
When something decreases in quantity, value, or intensity, 'verlieren' (to lose) is often used with the preposition 'an' and a dative object. Examples are 'an Gewicht verlieren' (to lose weight) or 'an Bedeutung verlieren' (to lose importance).
EXAMPLE
Seit der Krise hat die Währung stark an Wert verloren.
Since the crisis, the currency has lost a lot of value.
Fixed construction
The phrase 'sich in etwas verlieren' (to lose oneself in something) means to focus so intensely on something that you forget everything around you. The preposition 'in' requires the accusative here.
EXAMPLE
Sie kann sich stundenlang in einem guten Buch verlieren.
She can lose herself in a good book for hours.
Compare with
verlieren vs vermissen
to miss
Verlieren describes no longer having an object because you misplaced it or no longer know where it is. Vermissen, by contrast, states that the object is missing from its expected place. When the loss is the focus, Verlieren fits; when the current absence is the focus, Vermissen is appropriate.
verlieren
Ich habe meinen Schlüssel auf dem Weg zur Arbeit verloren.
I lost my key on the way to work.
vermissen
Ich vermisse meinen Schlüssel seit dem Morgen und suche ihn überall.
I have been missing my key since this morning and am looking for it everywhere.
In real life
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