perdiste

Perdiste is the second-person singular preterite form of the Spanish verb perder, meaning "you lost." It is used when the subject is the informal pronoun tú, and it denotes a completed action in the past.

Grammatical details: perder is an -er verb, and in the preterite tense its forms are perdí, perdiste, perdió, perdimos, perdisteis, perdieron. Perdiste combines the stem perd- with the preterite ending -iste to yield the spelling and pronunciation of the second-person singular past tense. The accent on the word shows the proper stress pattern: perdiste.

Usage and nuance: Perdiste can refer to losing a physical object, such as llaves or un libro (Perdiste las llaves). It can also express missing an opportunity or failing to attend something, as in perdiste la oportunidad or perdiste la reunión. In narrative and dialog, perdiste is common for recounting past events in informal conversation. The subject tú is often omitted in Spanish because verb conjugations carry the person inherently.

Related forms: The formal second person singular uses usted perdió, while the third person forms are él perdió and ella perdió. For plural addresses, ustedes perdieron or vosotros perdisteis (Spain) are used depending on regional variety. The root perder also yields related verbs such as perderse (to get lost or to miss out on something) and pérdida (loss).

Etymology: Perder derives from Latin perdere, meaning to ruin or to lose. Perdiste, as a shared descendant form, reflects the evolution of the Spanish preterite system.