fallado
/fah-YAH-doh/
failed
When describing an attempt or person, fallado means 'failed'.
fallado(Past Participle (used in compound verb forms))
failed
?when referring to an attempt or person
,missed
?when referring to a target or opportunity
broken down
?when referring to machinery or systems
,ruled
?when referring to a legal verdict (less common)
📝 In Action
El equipo ha fallado tres veces en la final.
A2The team has failed three times in the final.
Mi coche había fallado antes de que lo vendiera.
B1My car had broken down before I sold it.
La jueza ha fallado a favor del demandante.
B2The judge has ruled in favor of the plaintiff.
💡 Grammar Points
Forming Perfect Tenses
To talk about actions completed in the past, pair 'fallado' with a form of the verb 'haber' (e.g., 'he fallado' means 'I have failed').
No Gender Change
When 'fallado' is used as part of a verb tense (with 'haber'), it always stays 'fallado' regardless of who is doing the failing.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using 'Ser' instead of 'Haber'
Mistake: "Yo soy fallado."
Correction: Yo he fallado. Remember that 'haber' is the helper verb for almost all Spanish compound tenses, not 'ser' or 'estar'.
⭐ Usage Tips
Machine Trouble
A very common use is describing technology or machines: 'El internet ha fallado' (The internet has broken down/stopped working).
When describing defective equipment, fallado translates to 'faulty'.
fallado(Adjective)
faulty
?defective equipment
,failed
?unsuccessful attempt or person
defective
?broken part
,unsuccessful
?poor outcome
📝 In Action
Devolvimos el producto fallado a la tienda.
B1We returned the faulty product to the store.
Fue un intento fallado de reconciliación.
B2It was a failed attempt at reconciliation.
Ella no quiere usar la impresora fallada.
B1She doesn't want to use the defective printer.
💡 Grammar Points
Agreement is Key
When 'fallado' is used as an adjective (describing a noun), it must change its ending to match the noun it describes: 'fallado' (masc. sing.), 'fallada' (fem. sing.), 'fallados' (masc. plural), 'falladas' (fem. plural).
⭐ Usage Tips
Use with 'Estar'
You can use 'estar' with 'fallado' to describe the current state of something: 'El motor está fallado' (The engine is broken/faulty).
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: fallado
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'fallado' as an adjective?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'fallado' and 'fallando'?
'Fallado' is the past participle (the '-ed' form), used to talk about actions that are finished (e.g., 'I have failed'). 'Fallando' is the gerund (the '-ing' form), used to talk about actions happening right now (e.g., 'is failing').
Does 'fallado' always mean 'to fail'?
Not always! While 'to fail' or 'to break down' are the most common meanings, in legal contexts, *fallar* means 'to rule' or 'to give a verdict,' so 'fallado' can mean 'ruled' or 'adjudicated'.