German Phrase
Nee, ich glaube, ich hab's verloren.
Meaning
The speaker is denying something and then stating that they think they have lost an object. The use of "Nee" makes the tone informal and slightly emphatic, while "hab's" is a spoken contraction that keeps the sentence fluid.
When to use
Use this sentence when you want to politely refuse or correct someone in a casual setting and explain that you probably misplaced something – for example, when a friend asks if you still have a ticket, a pen, or a key.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Neeichglaubeichhab'sverloren
Nee (informal no)
A colloquial short form of "Nein" used in casual conversation.
ich (subject pronoun)
The first‑person singular pronoun, always in the nominative case.
glaube (verb)
First‑person singular present of "glauben" meaning "to think/believe".
hab's (contraction)
Contraction of "habe es"; "hab" is the colloquial present of "haben" and the apostrophe replaces the omitted "e" of "es".
verloren (participle)
Past participle of "verlieren" used here as a verb in the perfect tense ("ich habe verloren").
🗨In Conversation
Hast du das Buch noch?
Do you still have the book?
Nee, ich glaube, ich hab's verloren.
No, I think I lost it.
✕Common Mistakes
Nee, ich glaube, ich hab's verloren.
In formal contexts the contraction is wrong; use "habe es" instead.
Nee, ich glaube, ich hab's verlor.
Do not use the simple past "verlor" here; the perfect tense "habe verloren" is required.
Nee, ich glaube, ich habe es verloren.
Avoid "Nee" in polite or written German; replace with "Nein".
↔Alternatives
Nein, ich glaube, ich habe es verloren.
No, I think I have lost it.
Leider habe ich es wohl verlegt.
Unfortunately I have probably misplaced it.
Ich glaube, ich habe es verloren.
I think I lost it.
Cultural Tip
German speakers often drop the "e" in "habe" and replace "es" with an apostrophe in fast, informal speech – "hab's". In formal writing you should keep the full form "habe es". Also, "Nee" is strictly colloquial; in a professional email you would use "Nein".