#🗂️ Lose and Lost
In English, lose is the base form, and lost is the past tense and past participle. This quick guide shows when to use each.
Lose
Use lose for the present, future, and general habits. It appears in sentences about failing to keep something or being defeated.
I often lose my keys when I'm in a hurry.
Lost
Use lost for actions that happened in the past. It serves as the simple past or as the past participle in perfect tenses.
Expressions
Some expressions fix the form as lose or lost depending on idiomatic use. Pay attention to set phrases.
Differences
Remember lose is an action you can plan or avoid, while lost describes an event that already occurred. This matters for tense and meaning.
Summary
Use lose for the base form and habitual actions, and lost for completed past actions and the past participle. Practice with sentences about real things you can gain or fail to keep.
Last updated: Fri Oct 24, 2025