Portuguese Phrase

Não, acho que perdi.

/nãw ˈaʃu ke ˈpeɾdʒi/

Meaning"No, I think I lost (it)."

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Meaning

The speaker is responding negatively and expressing the belief that something has been lost. It can refer to a physical object (e.g., a key, a notebook) or, more figuratively, to something intangible like time.

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When to use

Use this phrase when someone asks if you have something or if you’ve found it, and you think you have misplaced it. It works in casual conversation and is polite because ‘acho que’ softens the certainty of the loss.

✦Grammar Breakdown

Não,achoqueperdi.

Negation – Não

‘Não’ is the standard word for ‘no’ or ‘not’ and is placed before the statement it negates.

First‑person present – acho

‘Acho’ is the 1st‑person singular present of the verb ‘achar’ (to think, to believe).

Subordinate conjunction – que

‘Que’ introduces a subordinate clause that expresses what the speaker thinks.

First‑person preterite – perdi

‘Perdi’ is the 1st‑person singular preterite of ‘perder’ (to lose).

Acho que + verb

The pattern ‘acho que + verb’ softens a statement, making it sound less absolute.

🗨In Conversation

Você encontrou o seu caderno?

Did you find your notebook?

Não, acho que perdi.

No, I think I lost it.

✕Common Mistakes

Não, acho que perde.
‘Perde’ is the 3rd‑person singular present; you need the 1st‑person preterite ‘perdi’ to say ‘I lost’.
Não eu acho que perdi.
The negation ‘não’ should directly precede the clause; inserting ‘eu’ breaks the natural flow.
Não, acho que eu perdi ele.
Portuguese rarely repeats the pronoun ‘ele’ after a verb that already implies the object; just say ‘perdi’ or ‘perdi o…’.

↔Alternatives

Não, creio que o perdi.
No, I believe I lost it.
Não, parece que eu perdi.
No, it seems I lost it.
Não, acho que deixei em algum lugar.
No, I think I left it somewhere.

Cultural Tip

In Brazilian Portuguese, speakers often use ‘acho que’ to make statements sound less confrontational. It’s perfectly natural to add the object after ‘perdi’ (e.g., ‘perdi o celular’) but it can be omitted when the context is clear. Avoid using ‘não eu acho que…’ – the negation always comes first.