How do you say "I'm lost." in Japanese?

"I'm lost." in Japanese is "道に迷いました。". This phrase is commonly used in Japan.

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How to Say ‘I'm lost.’ in Japanese

Q: What does "道に迷いました。" mean in English?

"道に迷いました。" means "I'm lost." in English. Usage tip: [迷いました] is past tense, but here Japanese uses it where English says "I'm lost." You'll see this a lot: a completed action in Japanese can describe your current situation.

道に迷いました。

michi ni mayoi mashi ta

[mee-chee nee mah-yoh-ee mah-shee tah]

💬 Usage Tip: [迷いました] is past tense, but here Japanese uses it where English says "I'm lost." You'll see this a lot: a completed action in Japanese can describe your current situation.

Phrase Breakdown

道

michi

[mee-chee]

road / way

Means road, street, or way. In this phrase it relates to being lost.

Example

道に迷いました、駅へ行きたいです。

I’m lost; I want to go to the station.

に

[nee]

in / on / to

The particle に marks the context or target here, connected with 道 and 迷う.

Example

道に迷いました、地図がありますか。

I’m lost; do you have a map?

迷い

mayoi

[mah-yoh-ee]

got lost

From 迷う, to lose one’s way or be confused. Here it indicates being lost.

Example

本当に道に迷いました。

I’m really lost.

まし

mashi

[mah-shee]

polite past stem

Part of the polite past ending used in statements about completed actions.

Example

昨日も道に迷いました。

I got lost yesterday too.

た

[tah]

past ending

Completes the polite past form, making the phrase mean “got lost.”

Example

さっき道に迷いました。

I got lost a little while ago.

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