Disperderti

Disperderti is the cliticized form of the Italian pronominal verb disperdersi, meaning to get lost, to become scattered, or more broadly to waste time, money, or attention. In standard dictionaries the canonical infinitive is disperdersi; disperderti appears when the reflexive pronoun ti is attached to the infinitive, as in phrases like Non disperderti (Don’t get lost / Don’t waste yourself). The form is common in colloquial speech and writing.

Etymology and form

Disperdersi is built from the verb disperdere (to scatter, to dissipate) with the reflexive suffix -si. The prefix dis- signals a separation or removal, and the sense extends from physical dislocation to figurative loss of focus or resources.

Meaning and usage

- Physical sense: to lose one’s way or to be separated from a group. Example: Durante l’escursione ci siamo dispersi nel bosco.

- Figurative sense: to waste or squander time, money, energy, or opportunities. Examples: Ha disperso tempo e risorse in progetti poco realistici; Non disperdere le energie.

- The verb often collocates with words like tempo, risorse, energie, pensieri to specify what is being lost or wasted.

Conjugation (present indicative)

- io mi disperdo; tu ti disperdi; lui/lei si disperde; noi ci disperdiamo; voi vi disperdete; loro si disperdono.

Related terms

- Perdersi, a closely related verb meaning to get lost or to miss out, often used in similar contexts.

- Disperdere (transitive) used for “to scatter” or “to dissipate” in non-reflexive constructions.

See also: perdersi, disperdere.