Pierden

Pierden is the present indicative third-person plural form of the Spanish verb perder, meaning "to lose." It is used with subjects such as ellos, ellas, or ustedes to indicate that a group loses something, is defeated, or misses an opportunity. The sense of perder can be literal (losing an object), or figurative (losing time, chances, or a game).

Conjugation and form: perder is an e-ie stem-changing verb in the present tense. The full set of present forms is: yo pierdo, tú pierdes, él/ella/Ud. pierde, nosotros perdemos, ellos/ellas/Uds. pierden. Therefore, pierden signals the third-person plural, as in "Ellos pierden el partido" or "Ustedes pierden tiempo."

Usage notes and examples: common constructions include describing a game outcome, such as "Ellos pierden el partido," or everyday losses like "pierden tiempo" (they waste time) or "pierden la oportunidad" (they miss the opportunity). The expression "pierder el tren" or "perder el tren" is an idiom meaning to miss a timely opportunity. Context and accompanying words (object, time frame, or activity) determine whether the meaning is a defeat, a waste, or a missed chance.

Etymology and related forms: pierden derives from perder, which in turn comes from Latin perdere, meaning to lose. Related present-tense forms include pierdo, pierdes, pierde, perdemos, and pierden, while the noun pérdida denotes the concept of loss.