Italian Phrase
No, mi sa che l'ho perso.
Meaning
Literally, 'No, it seems to me that I have lost it.' The speaker is politely denying something (often a request or a question) and expressing uncertainty about the loss of an item.
When to use
Use this sentence when you realize you may have misplaced something and want to answer a question like 'Did you find it?' or 'Do you have it?'. It’s informal and common in everyday conversation.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Nomisachel'hoperso
No
Simple negation, equivalent to English 'no' or 'not'.
mi sa
An idiomatic phrase meaning 'it seems to me' or 'I think', used to express a tentative opinion.
che
Conjunction introducing a subordinate clause, similar to 'that' in English.
l'
Clitic pronoun (elision of 'lo') that replaces a masculine singular direct object.
ho perso
Present perfect of 'perdere' (to lose); 'ho' is the auxiliary verb 'avere' and 'perso' is the past participle.
🗨In Conversation
Hai trovato il libro che ti ho prestato?
Did you find the book I lent you?
No, mi sa che l'ho perso.
No, I think I've lost it.
✕Common Mistakes
No, mi è che l'ho perso.
The verb 'essere' is not used here; the correct idiom is 'mi sa' (it seems to me).
No, mi sa che l'ho persa.
Use 'perso' for masculine objects and 'persa' for feminine objects; the clitic 'l'' already indicates gender.
No, mi sa che l'ho persi.
The past participle must agree with the object, not with the speaker; 'persi' is incorrect.
↔Alternatives
No, credo di averlo perso.
No, I believe I've lost it.
No, penso di averlo perso.
No, I think I've lost it.
No, temo di averlo perso.
No, I'm afraid I've lost it.
Cultural Tip
The expression 'mi sa' is very common in spoken Italian and conveys a casual, slightly tentative tone. It’s best used in informal settings; in formal writing you would replace it with 'credo' or 'penso'. Also, remember that the clitic 'l'' must agree in gender with the object it replaces (e.g., 'l'ho persa' for a feminine noun).