The Spanish verb caer means to fall and is used to describe things or people falling, dropping, or descending by themselves. It is an important verb for expressing physical movements or changes in state and is conjugated irregularly in several forms.
- caer = to fall
- Used for things or people falling, dropping, or descending on their own
- Can also be used figuratively (e.g., caer bien/mal for impressions)
- Irregular conjugations in present, preterite, and subjunctive
caer = to fall
Conjugation Highlights
| Tense | Sample Form (yo) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Infinitive | caer | - |
| Present | caigo | Irregular in yo (caigo) |
| Preterite | caí | Spelling change (í) |
| Imperfect | caía | Regular pattern |
| Future | caeré | Regular addition |
| Conditional | caería | Regular addition |
| Present Subj. | caiga | Irregular root |
| Imperf. Subj. | cayera | Regular subj. pattern |
caigo
(use for: things that fall or drop regularly or in the near future)
| Subject | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| yo | caigo |
| tú | caes |
| él/ella/ud | cae |
| nosotros | caemos |
| vosotros | caéis |
| ellos/uds | caen |
Example: Las hojas caen en otoño.
The leaves fall in autumn.
caen
(use for: when something fell/is dropped at a specific moment in the past)
| Subject | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| yo | caí |
| tú | caíste |
| él/ella/ud | cayó |
| nosotros | caímos |
| vosotros | caísteis |
| ellos/uds | cayeron |
Example: Ayer, el vaso cayó al suelo.
Yesterday, the glass fell to the floor.
caí (yo), cayó (él)
(use for: things that used to fall regularly or for background situations in the past)
| Subject | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| yo | caía |
| tú | caías |
| él/ella/ud | caía |
| nosotros | caíamos |
| vosotros | caíais |
| ellos/uds | caían |
Example: Cuando éramos niños, caían nieve cada invierno.
When we were kids, snow used to fall every winter.
caíamos
| Tense | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Present | Las hojas caen | The leaves fall |
| Preterite | El cuadro cayó | The picture fell |
| Imperfect | La lluvia caía | The rain was falling / used to fall |
| Future | Los precios caerán | Prices will fall |
| Conditional | Yo caería si pudiera | I would fall if I could |
Caerán las hojas.
Caer is essential for describing falling, dropping, or descending—whether literally or metaphorically. Its irregular forms make it a key verb to master among Spanish “important verbs.”
- Caer = to fall (used for things/people falling, dropping, or descending)
- Irregular in present (yo), preterite, and subjunctive forms
- Used both literally and figuratively (e.g., caer bien/mal)