The frequently used verb, caer, translates to ‘‘to fall’’ and ‘‘to drop’’ in English. While you do not want to fall when learning Spanish, understanding and knowing how to conjugate this verb properly will help you make sure you do not trip over the rules later.
First, you need to know that caer is a stem-changing verb, so you will be presented with some irregular patterns in the present, imperfect, and preterite tense. In terms of usage it is a fairly straightforward word. However, it can also be used when talking about the weather, liking or getting along with other people, and when referring to specific dates.
Caer Conjugation
Present Tense
|
Yo |
caigo |
Nosotros |
caemos |
|
Tú |
caes |
Vosotros |
caéis |
|
Él/Ella/Ud. |
cae |
Ellos/Ellas/Uds. |
caen |
Examples:
- No sé porqué no me habla. Yo siempre caigo bien. -- I don’t know why he doesn’t talk to me. People always like me.
- Este año mi cumpleaños cae en domingo. – This year my birthday falls on a Sunday.
Imperfect Tense
|
Yo |
caía |
Nosotros |
caíamos |
|
Tú |
caías |
Vosotros |
caíais |
|
Él/Ella/Ud. |
caía |
Ellos/Ellas/Uds. |
caían |
Examples:
- Pensé que la comida no caía mal, pero al final si lo hizo. – I thought I wasn’t going to get food poisoning, but I ended up getting it.
- Ella me caía bien cuando estábamos en la universidad. Ahora es muy arrogante. -- I used to like her when we were in college. Now she is too arrogant.
Preterite Tense
|
Yo |
caí |
Nosotros |
caímos |
|
Tú |
caiste |
Vosotros |
caísteis |
|
Él/Ella/Ud. |
cayó |
Ellos/Ellas/Uds. |
cayeron |
Examples:
- El avión cayó en el mar. -- The plane fell into the sea.
- Cayó una fuerte nevada hace dos días. Nos estábamos congelando. -- It snowed heavily two days ago. We were freezing.
Notice the vowel change in some of these pronouns when caer is conjugated in the present, imperfect, and preterite tense.
Future Tense
|
Yo |
caeré |
Nosotros |
caeremos |
|
Tú |
caerás |
Vosotros |
caeréis |
|
Él/Ella/Ud |
caerá |
Ellos/Ellas/Uds. |
caerán |
Examples:
- No caeré en ese error. -- I will not make that mistake.
- Los precios caerán como resultado de la reform. -- Prices will drop as a result of the reform.
Conditional Tense
|
Yo |
caería |
Nosotros |
caeríamos |
|
Tú |
caerías |
Vosotros |
caeríais |
|
Él/Ella/Ud |
caería |
Ellos/Ellas/Uds. |
caerían |
Examples:
- Caerías mucho mejor si no fueras tan amargado todo el tiempo. -- People would like you more if you weren’t so grumpy all the time.
- La llamada caería si tuvieras un mejor servicio de teléfono. -- The phone call would get through if you had a better phone service.
Idiomatic Expressions with Caer
As shown above, caer is often used to talk about situations related to the act of falling down. However, there are some phrases that use this verb with very different meanings. Here are some idiomatic expressions with caer. Using them will help you sound like a native speaker.
- Todo cae por su propio peso. -- What goes around, comes around.
- Caer como balde de agua fría. -- To pour (or throw) cold water on something.
Don't Drop It
Whether you are talking about dropping, falling down, liking someone or just pointing out the exact day on which your birthday falls, caer is a useful word to have under your belt. Just remember that, when conjugated, there is a vowel change in the present, imperfect, and preterite tenses.