cayó
/kah-YOH/
fell
The apple fell (cayó) from the tree.
cayó(verb)
fell
?physical dropping
tumbled
?sudden movement
,dropped
?an item moving down
📝 In Action
El niño se cayó de la bicicleta y se raspó la rodilla.
A1The boy fell off the bicycle and scraped his knee.
Ella no vio el escalón y se cayó por las escaleras.
A2She didn't see the step and fell down the stairs.
💡 Grammar Points
Irregular Past Tense
The verb 'caer' is irregular in the simple past tense (preterite). Notice the 'y' instead of an 'i' in 'cayó' and 'cayeron'. This sound change makes the pronunciation smoother.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using 'Se' vs. Not Using 'Se'
Mistake: "La mesa cayó (The table fell, like a kingdom collapsed)."
Correction: La mesa se cayó (The table fell down, physically). Use 'se' before 'caer' for accidental, physical falls.
⭐ Usage Tips
Accidental Events (The Se Rule)
When someone or something accidentally falls, we almost always use 'se' before the verb (like 'se cayó'). This construction emphasizes that it was an unintended event.
The empire collapsed (cayó) after years of instability.
cayó(verb)
collapsed
?regime or empire
was defeated
?military sense
,failed
?business or plan
📝 In Action
El dictador cayó en 1989 y el país celebró su libertad.
B1The dictator fell (was overthrown) in 1989 and the country celebrated its freedom.
La compañía de juguetes no soportó la crisis y cayó en bancarrota.
B2The toy company didn't survive the crisis and failed (went into bankruptcy).
💡 Grammar Points
Figurative Use
When used figuratively to mean 'to fail' or 'to collapse,' 'caer' usually does not require the little word 'se'.
⭐ Usage Tips
Historical Events
This form ('cayó') is perfect for narrating major historical events that happened in a specific moment in the past, like the defeat of an army or the collapse of a market.
The birthday was (cayó) on a Tuesday this year.
📝 In Action
La Nochebuena cayó en sábado el año pasado.
A2Christmas Eve was on a Saturday last year.
El aniversario de la compañía cayó justo antes de un día festivo.
B1The company anniversary landed right before a public holiday.
💡 Grammar Points
Time Expression
This is a very specific use of 'caer' only applicable to dates, holidays, and days of the week. It means the day 'falls on' that specific date.
⭐ Usage Tips
The Calendar Rule
Use 'cayó' instead of a form of 'ser' or 'estar' when you are stating what specific day of the week a past date happened on.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: cayó
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'cayó' to mean that a political entity failed?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'caer' suddenly have a 'y' (cayó) in the past tense?
This is a common irregularity in Spanish verbs ending in a vowel + 'er' or 'ir'. When the 'i' of the simple past ending tries to squeeze between two other vowels (e.g., *ca-i-o*), Spanish rules turn that weak 'i' into a stronger 'y' sound ('cayó') for better pronunciation.
How do I know if 'cayó' means 'fell' or 'was defeated'?
Context is key! If it's about a person or small object, it's usually a physical fall (like a ball). If it's about a government, empire, or company, it usually means it collapsed or failed.