100 Mistakes #14 - The difference between 'lose' and 'miss'

A lot of my students confuse 'lose' with 'miss', which is no surprise because in Spanish they both translate as 'perder'. So...

You lose things that you no longer have: you had them before but now you don't.

I've lost my keys!
(I had them last night.)
When he lost his job he also lost most of his friends. (He had a job and friends, and now he has neither.)
You've lost your mind! (You used to be sane and now you are mad.)
I've lost touch with most of my old school-friends.(We used to be in touch.)

If you don't know where you are, you are lost.
If you get totally absorbed in something, you lose yourself.

When I couldn't find the path, I knew that I was lost.
I got lost on the way back to the campsite. ('get lost' = become lost)
He lost himself in the vivid colours of the painting.
"I was lost when I met you on the road to Larissa." (Leonard Cohen)
"For a minute there, I lost myself, I lost myself." (Thom Yorke, Radiohead)

You miss things that happen at a particular time, while you are in a different place.

I've missed my train. (The train was at the station, but I wasn't there.)
The sales job was one more missed opportunity. (The opportunity was there but I didn't take it.)
I missed the Rolling Stones concert because I was in France.
The summer in the UK is not very long. Blink and you'll miss it!
(The summer is so short that it could happen at the exact moment that you have your eyes closed.)

You also miss things that you wish were with you.

He missed her kisses.
Living in Australia is great but I miss my family.
My dog died a few months ago and I really miss him.

When something is missing, it is not in its usual place.

One of my plates is missing; there are usually six! (It may be in the living room, or perhaps someone broke it.)
Our cat has been missing for two days. I hope she's ok. 

Now over to you:

The traffic was so bad on the way to the airport that we __________ our plane!
I always get __________ when I'm trying to find that bar!
Why do I always __________ my phone!
Oh Polly, we're going to __________ you so much!
My goldfish is __________ ! What have you done with him?
I'm surprised they're not here by now. Do you think they're __________ ?
Relax and __________ yourself in the music.