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PhrasesOn the MetroMi sono perso — posso uscire e rientrare?
A2

Mi sono perso — posso uscire e rientrare?

I got lost — can I exit and come back in?

Pronunciation

'Perso' — PER-so. Short, clipped 'e'; the double meaning (lost/confused) is common in speech.

When to use it

Ask a station attendant when you have exited through the wrong gate and need to re-enter without paying again. This happens often in large interchange stations.

What it means

'Mi sono perso' uses the reflexive passato prossimo with 'essere'. 'Perso' is the irregular past participle of 'perdere' (to lose). 'Rientrare' (to re-enter) is the prefix 'ri-' added to 'entrare', a productive pattern in Italian: fare → rifare, aprire → riaprire.

Variations

Ho preso la direzione sbagliata.

I took the wrong direction.

Explains what went wrong without asking for help directly.

Posso usare lo stesso biglietto?

Can I use the same ticket?

Confirms whether re-entry is free or requires a new ticket.

Sono uscito per sbaglio.

I exited by mistake.

Simple explanation to the station guard.

Mini Dialogue

— Mi sono perso, sono uscito per sbaglio. Posso rientrare? — Ha ancora il biglietto? — Sì, eccolo, l'ho timbrato dieci minuti fa. — Va bene, passi pure.

— I got lost, I exited by mistake. Can I come back in? — Do you still have your ticket? — Yes, here it is, I validated it ten minutes ago. — That's fine, go ahead.

Cultural Note

Italian metro attendants are generally helpful with confused tourists. Showing the ticket and explaining calmly almost always resolves the situation. Staying calm and polite goes a long way — raising your voice will make things worse.