Sometimes you want to get lost. It can be exciting to break out of your comfort zone and explore a brand new city or landscape with no tethers to your mundane, regular life. But other times, you definitely don’t want to be lost — like when you’re on a tight schedule or you’re in a place where you don’t speak the language and aren’t sure you’ll ever find your way back to your hotel. In those cases, being lost can be scary! If you learn how to say “I’m lost” in the local language, however, you can remain calm and ask for help.
Here’s a guide to saying “I’m lost” in 10 different languages. It may also be a good idea to review these emergency numbers and phrases before you go abroad.
Spanish — Me he perdido (m), me he perdida (f)
French — Je suis perdu (m), Je suis perdue (f)
German — Ich habe mich verlaufen
Italian — Mi sono perso (m), Mi sono persa (f)
Portuguese — Estou perdido (m), Estou perdida (f)
Swedish — Jag är vilsen
Turkish — Kayboldum
Polish — Zgubiłem się (m), Zgubiłam się (f)
Indonesian — Saya tersesat
Russian — Я потерялась (f), Я потерялся (m), Я потерял_ась (gender-neutral)