Inklingo

cayeron

kah-YEH-rohnkaˈʝeɾon

cayeron means they fell in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

they fell, they droppedAlso: they tumbled

A1irregular er
Three bright red apples simultaneously falling straight down from a green tree branch towards the ground.
past Participlecaído
gerundcayendo
infinitivecaer

📝 In Action

Las llaves se deslizaron de la mesa y **cayeron** al suelo.

A1

The keys slipped off the table and fell to the floor.

Los excursionistas se resbalaron en el hielo y **cayeron** unos metros.

A2

The hikers slipped on the ice and fell a few meters.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • desplomarse (to collapse)
  • resbalar (to slip)

Antonyms

  • subieron (they went up)
  • levantaron (they got up)

Common Collocations

  • cayeron al suelothey fell to the ground
  • cayeron en picadathey plummeted

they collapsed, they were defeatedAlso: they dropped (financially)

B1irregular er
A small, square, gray brick tower actively collapsing and crumbling into a pile of rubble on the ground.
past Participlecaído
gerundcayendo
infinitivecaer

📝 In Action

Ante la evidencia, los argumentos de la defensa **cayeron** fácilmente.

B1

Faced with the evidence, the defense's arguments collapsed easily.

Los precios del petróleo **cayeron** a su nivel más bajo en una década.

B2

Oil prices dropped to their lowest level in a decade.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • sucumbieron (they succumbed)
  • descendieron (they descended)

Common Collocations

  • cayeron en desgraciathey fell from grace
  • cayeron enfermosthey got sick

Subjunctive

Imperfect Subjunctive

yocayera
cayeras
él/ella/ustedcayera
nosotroscayéramos
vosotroscayerais
ellos/ellas/ustedescayeran

Present Subjunctive

yocaiga
caigas
él/ella/ustedcaiga
nosotroscaigamos
vosotroscaigáis
ellos/ellas/ustedescaigan

Indicative

Imperfect

yocaía
caías
él/ella/ustedcaía
nosotroscaíamos
vosotroscaíais
ellos/ellas/ustedescaían

Present

yocaigo
caes
él/ella/ustedcae
nosotroscaemos
vosotroscaéis
ellos/ellas/ustedescaen

Preterite

yocaí
caíste
él/ella/ustedcayó
nosotroscaímos
vosotroscaísteis
ellos/ellas/ustedescayeron

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "cayeron" in Spanish:

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: cayeron

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence uses 'cayeron' to mean 'they were defeated'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family
caer(to fall)Verb
la caída(the fall / the drop)Noun
caído(fallen)Adjective
🎵 Rhymes
📚 Etymology

From the Latin verb *cadere*, meaning 'to fall, sink, or drop.' The irregular nature of the Spanish verb 'caer' developed early in the language's history, leading to the unique 'y' forms in the past tense, like 'cayeron'.

First recorded: Old Spanish (around the 10th-12th centuries)

Cognates (Related words)

Italian: cadereFrench: choir

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'cayeron' past tense or present tense?

It is the simple past tense (Preterite). It describes an action of falling that was completed and finished in the past.

Why is the base form 'caer' but the past form is 'cayeron'?

'Caer' is an irregular verb. In the simple past, the verb stem changes slightly (from 'caí-' to 'cay-') to make the pronunciation flow better when the vowel sounds are next to each other.