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Verb to fall in English: 3 forms
09.03.2025
4 minutes to read
The verb to fall means “to fall”. For example, if you tripped over your backpack and fell on the floor, that's the past tense. And if you have already fallen and are lying down, you can say, “I have fallen!”
The three forms are easy to memorize: fall - fell - fallen. They are needed to talk about the past, present and actions that have been done. Now let's find out how to use them correctly!
The three forms are easy to memorize: fall - fell - fallen. They are needed to talk about the past, present and actions that have been done. Now let's find out how to use them correctly!
Table of contents
The verb to fall is not only about falling, but also about changes that happen by themselves. Let's understand where it is used.
1. To fall physically
The most obvious option is that something falls down.
Apples fall from a tree in the fall.
He tripped and fell to the ground.
The ice is thin, stay back or you will fall!
2. Fall in a figurative sense
Sometimes fall means that something decreases or worsens:
The temperature falls when winter comes.
Electronics prices rarely fall, but we hope.
In movies, kingdoms often fall when an evil ruler comes.
3. To fall in emotions and states
To fall is often used when talking about a change of state:
Fall asleep - to fall asleep. (Is class boring? You'll definitely fall asleep soon.)
Fall in love. (Careful, you can fall in love with someone who doesn't even know you exist.)
Fall ill. (If you walk around without a hat, it's easy to fall ill.)
4. Other interesting expressions
Fall behind - fall behind. (“I missed a week of school and now I fall behind in math!”).
Fall apart. (“This umbrella is falling apart, it's time to get a new one.”)
Fall for - to fall for something. (“He fell for the old fake discount trick.”)
So to fall is not always about failure, and sometimes it's even about something good. The main thing is to fall beautifully!
1. To fall physically
The most obvious option is that something falls down.
Apples fall from a tree in the fall.
He tripped and fell to the ground.
The ice is thin, stay back or you will fall!
2. Fall in a figurative sense
Sometimes fall means that something decreases or worsens:
The temperature falls when winter comes.
Electronics prices rarely fall, but we hope.
In movies, kingdoms often fall when an evil ruler comes.
3. To fall in emotions and states
To fall is often used when talking about a change of state:
Fall asleep - to fall asleep. (Is class boring? You'll definitely fall asleep soon.)
Fall in love. (Careful, you can fall in love with someone who doesn't even know you exist.)
Fall ill. (If you walk around without a hat, it's easy to fall ill.)
4. Other interesting expressions
Fall behind - fall behind. (“I missed a week of school and now I fall behind in math!”).
Fall apart. (“This umbrella is falling apart, it's time to get a new one.”)
Fall for - to fall for something. (“He fell for the old fake discount trick.”)
So to fall is not always about failure, and sometimes it's even about something good. The main thing is to fall beautifully!
Meaning of the verb to fall
3 basic forms of the verb to fall
The verb to fall is irregular, so you just need to memorize its three forms:
1. Present Simple - fall
We use it when talking about something that happens regularly or always.
Leaves fall in autumn.
Be careful, or you fall off the bike!
2. Past Simple - fell
Talk about something that has already happened in the past.
I fell asleep during the lesson.
She fell in love with a stranger.
3. Past Participle - fallen
It is necessary for Present Perfect and Past Perfect when it is not important when something happened, but the fact itself.
Oh no, my phone has fallen!
The empire had fallen before the enemy arrived. (The empire had fallen before the enemy arrived.)
How do you memorize it?
You can think of fall - fell - fallen as a three-step fall:
You fall - still standing, but ready to fall.
You fall - you've already fallen.
You fallen - you lie down and realize it's too late.
That's it! Now the main thing is not to forget and fall behind in English!
We use it when talking about something that happens regularly or always.
Leaves fall in autumn.
Be careful, or you fall off the bike!
2. Past Simple - fell
Talk about something that has already happened in the past.
I fell asleep during the lesson.
She fell in love with a stranger.
3. Past Participle - fallen
It is necessary for Present Perfect and Past Perfect when it is not important when something happened, but the fact itself.
Oh no, my phone has fallen!
The empire had fallen before the enemy arrived. (The empire had fallen before the enemy arrived.)
How do you memorize it?
You can think of fall - fell - fallen as a three-step fall:
You fall - still standing, but ready to fall.
You fall - you've already fallen.
You fallen - you lie down and realize it's too late.
That's it! Now the main thing is not to forget and fall behind in English!
When the verb fall is used
The verb fall is used when something or someone changes its position or state, most often - down or in another direction. Let's break down the main cases.
1. When something physically falls
When an object moves down by itself or because of an external influence, fall is used.
The book fell off the shelf.
The leaves fall every autumn.
2. When something decreases or declines
Fall can be used when we talk about a decrease in temperature, prices, or the level of something.
The temperature fell below zero last night.
The company's profits have fallen this year.
3. When someone changes their fortune
The verb fall is often found in expressions that describe a change in a person's feelings or condition.
She fell in love with him at first sight.
He was so tired that he fell asleep immediately.
After running in the rain, she fell ill.
4. When someone falls behind or loses control
Fall is used when talking about losing position, leadership, or control of a situation.
He fell behind in class after missing a few lessons.
The old building fell apart after years of neglect.
5. When an unexpected event occurs
Fall can mean sudden change or unexpected events.
Silence fell over the room.
Darkness fell as the sun set.
The verb fall is a universal verb, so it can be found in many situations. The main thing is not to fall behind when learning English!
1. When something physically falls
When an object moves down by itself or because of an external influence, fall is used.
The book fell off the shelf.
The leaves fall every autumn.
2. When something decreases or declines
Fall can be used when we talk about a decrease in temperature, prices, or the level of something.
The temperature fell below zero last night.
The company's profits have fallen this year.
3. When someone changes their fortune
The verb fall is often found in expressions that describe a change in a person's feelings or condition.
She fell in love with him at first sight.
He was so tired that he fell asleep immediately.
After running in the rain, she fell ill.
4. When someone falls behind or loses control
Fall is used when talking about losing position, leadership, or control of a situation.
He fell behind in class after missing a few lessons.
The old building fell apart after years of neglect.
5. When an unexpected event occurs
Fall can mean sudden change or unexpected events.
Silence fell over the room.
Darkness fell as the sun set.
The verb fall is a universal verb, so it can be found in many situations. The main thing is not to fall behind when learning English!
Fall is an irregular verb and has three forms:
fall - fell - fallen
But that's not all. Let's see how it behaves in different tenses.
1. Present Simple - fall.
It is used when something happens regularly or according to the laws of nature.
Leaves fall in autumn.
Prices fall during sales.
Be careful, you fall every time you try this trick!
2. Past Simple - fell
When the action has already happened and is over.
He fell off his bike yesterday.
I fell asleep during the lecture.
The old castle fell into ruins.
3. Present Perfect - fallen.
It is used when it is not when, but the fact of what happened that is important.
Oh no, my phone has fallen again!
The temperature has fallen sharply.
She has fallen in love with that movie.
4. Past Perfect - fallen
Indicates that something happened even earlier than another event in the past.
By the time we arrived, the night had fallen.
The empire had fallen long before the war ended.
5. Future Simple - will fall
When talking about something that will happen in the future.
The leaves will fall soon.
If you don't tie your shoes, you will fall.
6. Modal constructions
Fall is often used with modal verbs:
You might fall if you don't hold on.
Prices must fall for people to afford housing.
7. Phrasal and sustained expressions
The verb fall is often found in stable phrases:
Fall in love
Fall asleep
Fall behind
Fall apart
Fall down
The verb fall, though irregular, is quite predictable. The main thing is not to fall into the trap of laziness and memorize its forms!
fall - fell - fallen
But that's not all. Let's see how it behaves in different tenses.
1. Present Simple - fall.
It is used when something happens regularly or according to the laws of nature.
Leaves fall in autumn.
Prices fall during sales.
Be careful, you fall every time you try this trick!
2. Past Simple - fell
When the action has already happened and is over.
He fell off his bike yesterday.
I fell asleep during the lecture.
The old castle fell into ruins.
3. Present Perfect - fallen.
It is used when it is not when, but the fact of what happened that is important.
Oh no, my phone has fallen again!
The temperature has fallen sharply.
She has fallen in love with that movie.
4. Past Perfect - fallen
Indicates that something happened even earlier than another event in the past.
By the time we arrived, the night had fallen.
The empire had fallen long before the war ended.
5. Future Simple - will fall
When talking about something that will happen in the future.
The leaves will fall soon.
If you don't tie your shoes, you will fall.
6. Modal constructions
Fall is often used with modal verbs:
You might fall if you don't hold on.
Prices must fall for people to afford housing.
7. Phrasal and sustained expressions
The verb fall is often found in stable phrases:
Fall in love
Fall asleep
Fall behind
Fall apart
Fall down
The verb fall, though irregular, is quite predictable. The main thing is not to fall into the trap of laziness and memorize its forms!
Grammatical features
Synonyms and antonyms
The verb fall is not only about “to fall”, but also about changes in state. Let's break down its synonyms and antonyms in different meanings.
Synonyms
🔹 When something physically falls down
Drop - to drop, fall (unexpectedly, as a phone out of your hands).
I dropped my phone, and it fell on the floor.
Tumble - to tumble, to fall haphazardly.
The child tumbled down the stairs.
Plunge - to fall sharply, usually downward.
The car plunged into the river.
🔹 When something shrinks or declines.
Decline - to decline.
Sales declined last month.
Decrease - to decrease, fall.
The temperature decreased suddenly.
Drop - drop suddenly.
The price of gas has dropped recently.
🔹 When a person changes state.
Sink - to sink, drown.
He sank into depression.
Collapse - to collapse, collapse (from fatigue).
After the marathon, he collapsed on the ground.
Faint - to faint; to faint.
She fainted from the heat.
Antonyms
🔹 When something rises
Rise - to rise (by itself).
The sun rises in the east.
Lift - to lift something.
He lifted the box easily.
Soar.
The eagle soared in the sky.
🔹 When something increases
Increase - to increase, to grow.
Prices increased last year.
Grow - to grow, to get bigger.
The company grew rapidly.
🔹 When a person changes state in the other direction.
Wake up.
I woke up at 7 AM.
Stand up - to stand up.
He stood up after falling.
Recover - to recover.
She recovered from her illness.
The verb fall is not always about bad things. Sometimes a fall leads to growth, the main thing is to rise in time!
Synonyms
🔹 When something physically falls down
Drop - to drop, fall (unexpectedly, as a phone out of your hands).
I dropped my phone, and it fell on the floor.
Tumble - to tumble, to fall haphazardly.
The child tumbled down the stairs.
Plunge - to fall sharply, usually downward.
The car plunged into the river.
🔹 When something shrinks or declines.
Decline - to decline.
Sales declined last month.
Decrease - to decrease, fall.
The temperature decreased suddenly.
Drop - drop suddenly.
The price of gas has dropped recently.
🔹 When a person changes state.
Sink - to sink, drown.
He sank into depression.
Collapse - to collapse, collapse (from fatigue).
After the marathon, he collapsed on the ground.
Faint - to faint; to faint.
She fainted from the heat.
Antonyms
🔹 When something rises
Rise - to rise (by itself).
The sun rises in the east.
Lift - to lift something.
He lifted the box easily.
Soar.
The eagle soared in the sky.
🔹 When something increases
Increase - to increase, to grow.
Prices increased last year.
Grow - to grow, to get bigger.
The company grew rapidly.
🔹 When a person changes state in the other direction.
Wake up.
I woke up at 7 AM.
Stand up - to stand up.
He stood up after falling.
Recover - to recover.
She recovered from her illness.
The verb fall is not always about bad things. Sometimes a fall leads to growth, the main thing is to rise in time!
Examples
The verb fall is used in many different situations. Let's see how it is used in life.
1. When something physically falls
Be careful, or you'll fall!
The book fell off the table.
The snow has fallen overnight.
2. When something decreases or declines
The temperature fell below zero.
His grades have fallen since he stopped studying.
Oil prices fall every January.
3. When a person changes state
I was so tired that I fell asleep immediately.
She fell in love with him at first sight.
He fell ill after the trip.
4. When someone loses ground or control
I fell behind in math after missing classes.
The old house is falling apart.
The empire fell after years of war.
5. When a sudden event occurs
Silence fell over the room.
Darkness fell as the sun set.
A deep sadness fell upon him.
6. Interesting phrasal verbs with fall
He fell for her lies.
The team fell apart after losing their coach.
The plan fell through at the last minute.
The verb fall is not always a bad thing. Sometimes you have to fall first to get higher!
1. When something physically falls
Be careful, or you'll fall!
The book fell off the table.
The snow has fallen overnight.
2. When something decreases or declines
The temperature fell below zero.
His grades have fallen since he stopped studying.
Oil prices fall every January.
3. When a person changes state
I was so tired that I fell asleep immediately.
She fell in love with him at first sight.
He fell ill after the trip.
4. When someone loses ground or control
I fell behind in math after missing classes.
The old house is falling apart.
The empire fell after years of war.
5. When a sudden event occurs
Silence fell over the room.
Darkness fell as the sun set.
A deep sadness fell upon him.
6. Interesting phrasal verbs with fall
He fell for her lies.
The team fell apart after losing their coach.
The plan fell through at the last minute.
The verb fall is not always a bad thing. Sometimes you have to fall first to get higher!
The verb fall is found in many phrasal verbs, and their meanings are not always obvious. Let's look at the most popular ones.
1. fall apart - to fall apart, to break apart
When something or someone loses its integrity, either literally or emotionally.
My old shoes are falling apart.
After the breakup, she completely fell apart.
2. Fall behind
When you can't keep up with something, such as studying, working, or paying bills.
He fell behind in school after missing classes.
We fell behind on the project deadline.
3. fall for - fall in love / fall for deception
It is used in two meanings: when someone falls in love or when they fall for a scam.
He fell for her the moment he saw her.
I can't believe you fell for that scam!
4. Fall off.
When something loses its footing and falls down.
Be careful, or you'll fall off the bike!
Sales have fallen off this year.
5. Fall out.
Used when someone loses something - a friend or their hair.
They fell out over money.
My hair is falling out because of stress.
6. Fall through
Usually about plans that did not work out.
Our vacation plans fell through because of bad weather.
The deal fell through at the last moment.
7. Fall into - to find oneself in a state
He fell into depression after losing his job.
The house fell into ruin.
Phrasal verbs with fall help to make speech lively and expressive.
The main thing is not to fall behind in their study!
1. fall apart - to fall apart, to break apart
When something or someone loses its integrity, either literally or emotionally.
My old shoes are falling apart.
After the breakup, she completely fell apart.
2. Fall behind
When you can't keep up with something, such as studying, working, or paying bills.
He fell behind in school after missing classes.
We fell behind on the project deadline.
3. fall for - fall in love / fall for deception
It is used in two meanings: when someone falls in love or when they fall for a scam.
He fell for her the moment he saw her.
I can't believe you fell for that scam!
4. Fall off.
When something loses its footing and falls down.
Be careful, or you'll fall off the bike!
Sales have fallen off this year.
5. Fall out.
Used when someone loses something - a friend or their hair.
They fell out over money.
My hair is falling out because of stress.
6. Fall through
Usually about plans that did not work out.
Our vacation plans fell through because of bad weather.
The deal fell through at the last moment.
7. Fall into - to find oneself in a state
He fell into depression after losing his job.
The house fell into ruin.
Phrasal verbs with fall help to make speech lively and expressive.
The main thing is not to fall behind in their study!
Phrasal verbs
Idioms with the verb fall
The verb fall is found not only in phrasal verbs, but also in various idioms that add brightness and expressiveness to the language.
Let's analyze the most common ones.
1. fall through the cracks - to be left out, forgotten
When something or someone is left unnoticed or neglected.
The email fell through the cracks and I missed the meeting.
Some important details fell through the cracks during the project.
2. fall into place - become clear, fall into place
When all the elements of a situation or problem begin to fit together and it becomes clear how things should be.
After the explanation, everything fell into place.
At first, the plan seemed confusing, but it finally fell into place.
3. fall short - fail to live up to expectations, fail to reach a goal
When something or someone fails to reach a desired level or standard.
The company's profits fell short of expectations this quarter.
His performance fell short of what we had hoped for.
4. fall out of favor - lose popularity or approval
When someone or something loses support or becomes unpopular.
The actor fell out of favor with the public after the scandal.
That product fell out of favor once newer models came out.
5. Fall on deaf ears - to fall on deaf ears, to be ignored
When words or requests are not taken seriously or ignored.
My advice fell on deaf ears; no one listened.
His warning fell on deaf ears, and the mistake was made.
6. Fall out with someone
When a relationship with someone deteriorates to the point where there is a quarrel or breakdown in communication.
I fell out with my best friend over a misunderstanding.
They fell out after the argument.
7. Fall at someone's feet - to fall at someone's feet, to bow down to someone.
When someone expresses adoration or adoration, either literally or figuratively.
After his performance, fans were falling at his feet.
She fell at his feet when she saw his kindness.
The verb fall in idioms helps to express different emotions and situations, from disappointment to admiration.
It is important not to fall out of practice and keep teaching them!
Let's analyze the most common ones.
1. fall through the cracks - to be left out, forgotten
When something or someone is left unnoticed or neglected.
The email fell through the cracks and I missed the meeting.
Some important details fell through the cracks during the project.
2. fall into place - become clear, fall into place
When all the elements of a situation or problem begin to fit together and it becomes clear how things should be.
After the explanation, everything fell into place.
At first, the plan seemed confusing, but it finally fell into place.
3. fall short - fail to live up to expectations, fail to reach a goal
When something or someone fails to reach a desired level or standard.
The company's profits fell short of expectations this quarter.
His performance fell short of what we had hoped for.
4. fall out of favor - lose popularity or approval
When someone or something loses support or becomes unpopular.
The actor fell out of favor with the public after the scandal.
That product fell out of favor once newer models came out.
5. Fall on deaf ears - to fall on deaf ears, to be ignored
When words or requests are not taken seriously or ignored.
My advice fell on deaf ears; no one listened.
His warning fell on deaf ears, and the mistake was made.
6. Fall out with someone
When a relationship with someone deteriorates to the point where there is a quarrel or breakdown in communication.
I fell out with my best friend over a misunderstanding.
They fell out after the argument.
7. Fall at someone's feet - to fall at someone's feet, to bow down to someone.
When someone expresses adoration or adoration, either literally or figuratively.
After his performance, fans were falling at his feet.
She fell at his feet when she saw his kindness.
The verb fall in idioms helps to express different emotions and situations, from disappointment to admiration.
It is important not to fall out of practice and keep teaching them!
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