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Learn Portuguese Idioms: Perder a hora & Perder tempo

Learn Portuguese Idioms: Perder a hora & Perder tempo

posted on November 5, 2014

Learn Portuguese Idioms: Perder a hora & Perder tempo

I saw the picture above on Facebook and it inspired me to create this Portuguese lesson. The picture uses two very useful idiomatic expressions in Portuguese: Perder a hora and Perder tempo.  In this lesson I will give you a tip about the conjugation of the verb Perder and will show you how to use the expressions above. I will also teach you an additional great expression.

 

The Verb Perder: Meaning and Conjugation

The literal translation of perder is to lose.

Perder has an interesting conjugation. It is irregular for the simple present tense (present indicative) of “eu”:

  • Eu perco

Notice that we have a C in place of the D that we have in the infinitive.

The rest of the present tense conjugation is regular:

  • Você/ele/ela perde
  • Nós perdemos
  • Vocês/eles/elas perdem

That little change in the present tense indicative carries on to the present subjunctive:

  • Espero que eu não perca meu celular de novo. = I hope I do not lose my cell phone again.
  • Espero que você não perca seu celular de novo. = I hope you do not lose your cell phone again.
  • Espero que nós não percamos nossos celulares outra vez. = I hope we do not lose our cell phones again.
  • Espero que vocês não percam seus celulares novamente. = I hope you guys do not lose your cell phones again.

To practice the present subjunctive conjugation, check out our Flashcard App for Android devices.

 

Idiomatic Expression: Perder a hora

The expression perder a hora means to lose track of time and to be late for an appointment as a result. It can also translate as to oversleep.

Examples:

1. Melissa usually wakes up at 7am to go to work. Today she overslept and woke up at 7:45am. She calls her manager to say that she is running late:

  • Desculpe. Eu trabalhei até tarde ontem à noite e hoje perdi a hora.
  • = I’m sorry. I worked until late last night and today I overslept.

 

2. Reginaldo is having lunch with a friend. He checks the time and says:

  • Tenho que ir. Tenho uma reunião importante. Não posso perder a hora.
  • = I have to go. I have an important meeting. I cannot be lose track of time and be late.

 

3. Diego is late to meet his girlfriend. She is upset. He tells her:

  • Desculpa. Eu estava estudando e perdi a hora.
  • Sorry. I was studying and lost track of time.

 

Idiomatic expression: Perder tempo

The expression perder tempo means to waste time.

Examples:

1.    Cristiano has been trying to go out on a date with Maria. Maria however keeps rejecting him. Cristiano’s friend finally tells him:

  • Você está perdendo seu tempo. Ela não quer nada com você.
  • = You are wasting your time. She does not want anything to do with you.

 

2.    Joana is giving Mário her opinion about the movie she watched last night:

  • O filme é horrível. Não perca seu tempo.
  • = The movie is terrible. Don’t waste your time.

 

3.    Paula spent almost an hour in line at the bank today. She says:

  • Perdi um tempo enorme na fila do banco.
  • = I wasted a lot of time in line at the bank.

 

Premium phrase: Uma perda de tempo

The noun for “perder” is perda = a loss, a waste.

The phrase uma perda de tempo means a waste of time.

Example:

Gustavo spends hours playing games at his computer. His girlfriend says:

  • Não entendo como você passa tantas horas jogando. Que perda de tempo!
  • = I don’t understand how you spend so many hours playing. What a waste of time!

 

The Opening Picture

Based on what you just learned, you can now translate the opening picture. It says:

“Choose people who make you lose track of time, not waste your time.”

The picture came from 89 A Radio Rock’s Facebook page.

 

Related Posts:

  • 12 Ways to Say You are Welcome in Brazil - Portuguese lesson
  • Brazilian Portuguese Idiom: Não é a minha praia
  • Shopping vocabulary in Portuguese

About Luciana Lage

I’m Luciana, founder of Street Smart Brazil. I am so happy to be able to help you in your Portuguese speaking journey! Teaching Portuguese as a foreign language was one of the best things that could have happened in my life. I’ve had the privilege of teaching Portuguese at the University of California, Berkeley and the University of San Francisco. Now I am fully dedicated to the Street Smart Brazil community.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Martín Felman

    November 8, 2014 at 12:52 pm

    Oi Luciana e colegas, tudo bem,

    Agradeço pelas dicas recebidas. Eu sou um professor de português argentino e, sinceramente, nunca tinha reparado na expressão “Perder a hora”. Confeso que me levou um tempinho achar uma expressão parecida no nosso espanhol rioplatense, mas finalmente achei ela. Poderia ser “colgarse” ou “me colgué”, que nós usamos coloquialmente nesse contexto. Portanto, a frase da imagem poderia ficar assim : “Elegi personas que te hagan ‘colgarte’ y no, perder el tiempo”. Quero esclarecer que essa expressão ‘colgarse’ é uma gíria, que poderia ser traduzida como “relaxar” ou “descontrair”, no português.

    Abraço e até breve! Martín.

    Reply
    • Luciana Lage

      November 8, 2014 at 3:11 pm

      Oi, Martín! Muito prazer! E muito obrigada por compartilhar um pouco da sua língua. Adorei conhecer “colgarse”. É o que quero fazer hoje 🙂

      Reply
  2. nick

    November 6, 2014 at 3:53 pm

    otima licao! muito obrigado 🙂

    Reply
    • Luciana Lage

      November 6, 2014 at 6:26 pm

      Obrigada pelo comentário, Nick! Fiquei feliz 🙂

      Reply

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