How to say “I lost my passport” in Chinese
“I lost my passport” in Chinese is 我的护照丢了。, written in pinyin as Wǒ de hùzhào diū le.
我的护照丢了。
Wǒ de hùzhào diū le.
I lost my passport.
Word by word
What each part of 我的护照丢了。 actually means.
- 我wǒI / me
- 的depossessive particle
- 护照hùzhàopassport
- 丢diūto lose
- 了lechange-of-state particle
When you use it
- Say it at a hotel front desk or a police station as soon as you notice, because the sentence starts two things at once: a report where you are, and a call to your own embassy.
- 丢 marks a loss that has already happened and 了 closes it, so 护照丢了 says the passport is gone rather than misplaced — while 我找不到护照了 says only that you cannot put your hands on it right now.
Use 我的护照丢了。 in emergency situations. Get help fast: police, doctor, lost and allergies.
Other ways people say it
The same idea, said differently. Roughly in the order you'll hear them.
我的护照不见了。
Wǒ de hùzhào bú jiàn le
My passport has gone missing.
Softer than 丢了 — the right first sentence in a hotel room, where it may still turn up.
我找不到护照了。
Wǒ zhǎo bú dào hùzhào le
I can't find my passport.
我需要补办护照。
Wǒ xūyào bǔbàn hùzhào
I need to replace my passport.
补办 is the word for reissuing a lost document, and it is the one the paperwork is filed under.
What usually trips people up
- 丢了 and 不见了 both say the passport is not with you, but 不见了 leaves room for it turning up — at a hotel it is worth starting there and treating it as lost only after the room has been searched.
- 身份证 is the document Chinese nationals carry and 护照 is the one you carry, so keeping to 护照 keeps the questions away from an ID you will never have.
- The passport number and a photo of the data page are what speed up the replacement: with them, 这是我的护照号码 gets the paperwork moving; without them, the process starts back at proving who you are.
What you might hear back
- 什么时候丢的？Shénme shíhou diū de?When did you lose it?
- 您住哪个房间？Nín zhù nǎge fángjiān?Which room are you staying in?
- 请去派出所登记。Qǐng qù pàichūsuǒ dēngjìPlease file a report at the local police station.
Common questions
- How do you say "I lost my passport" in Chinese?
- "I lost my passport" in Chinese is 我的护照丢了。 — written in pinyin as Wǒ de hùzhào diū le. It is an emergency phrase you would use in China.
- What does 我的护照丢了。 mean in Chinese?
- 我的护照丢了。 (Wǒ de hùzhào diū le) means "I lost my passport". Broken down word by word: 我 (wǒ) means "I / me"; 的 (de) means "possessive particle"; 护照 (hùzhào) means "passport"; 丢 (diū) means "to lose"; 了 (le) means "change-of-state particle".
- When would you use "I lost my passport" in Chinese?
- Say it at a hotel front desk or a police station as soon as you notice, because the sentence starts two things at once: a report where you are, and a call to your own embassy. 丢 marks a loss that has already happened and 了 closes it, so 护照丢了 says the passport is gone rather than misplaced — while 我找不到护照了 says only that you cannot put your hands on it right now.
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