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falta

fahl-tahˈfalta

“falta” means “lack” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

lack, shortage

Also: mistake, absence, foul
NounfA2
A large, mostly empty wooden basket resting on the floor, containing only one bright red apple, symbolizing a lack or shortage.

📝 In Action

La falta de lluvia es un problema para los agricultores.

B1

The lack of rain is a problem for the farmers.

Tengo una falta en la clase de historia de hoy.

A2

I have an absence in today's history class.

Cometer una falta en el examen te puede costar caro.

B1

Making a mistake on the exam can cost you dearly.

El árbitro pitó una falta cerca del área.

B2

The referee called a foul near the penalty box.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • hacer falta – to be necessary, to be needed
  • echar en falta – to miss (someone or something)
  • falta de respeto – lack of respect
  • sin falta – without fail

to be lacking, to be missing

Also: to be absent, to remain, to disrespect
VerbA2regular ar
A colorful jigsaw puzzle spread out on a wooden table with a single, distinct piece visibly missing from the middle of the assembled section.
infinitivefaltar
gerundfaltando
past Participlefaltado

📝 In Action

A la sopa le falta sal.

A2

The soup is lacking salt. (It needs salt.)

Falta un jugador en nuestro equipo.

A2

Our team is missing a player.

Falta una hora para que empiece la película.

B1

There's one hour left until the movie starts.

Si me falta al respeto otra vez, me iré.

B2

If he disrespects me again, I'll leave.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • sobrar (to be leftover, to be in excess)

Common Collocations

  • faltar a clase/al trabajo – to be absent from class/work
  • faltar al respeto – to disrespect

Indicative

Present

yofalto
túfaltas
él/ella/ustedfalta
nosotrosfaltamos
vosotrosfaltáis
ellos/ellas/ustedesfaltan

Imperfect

yofaltaba
túfaltabas
él/ella/ustedfaltaba
nosotrosfaltábamos
vosotrosfaltabais
ellos/ellas/ustedesfaltaban

Preterite

yofalté
túfaltaste
él/ella/ustedfaltó
nosotrosfaltamos
vosotrosfaltasteis
ellos/ellas/ustedesfaltaron

Subjunctive

Present Subjunctive

yofalte
túfaltes
él/ella/ustedfalte
nosotrosfaltemos
vosotrosfaltéis
ellos/ellas/ustedesfalten

Imperfect Subjunctive

yofaltara
túfaltaras
él/ella/ustedfaltara
nosotrosfaltáramos
vosotrosfaltarais
ellos/ellas/ustedesfaltaran
View All Tenses & Moods →

🔀 Commonly Confused With

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "falta" in Spanish:

foul→lack→mistake→shortage→to disrespect→to remain→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: falta

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses 'falta' to mean 'A mistake'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
faltar(to be lacking, to be missing) — Verb
faltante(missing, remaining) — Adjective
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the Vulgar Latin '*fallita*', which meant a 'fault' or 'failing'. This is from the Latin verb 'fallere', meaning 'to deceive, fail, or be wanting'. You can see the family connection to English words like 'fault' and 'fail'!

First recorded: Around the 12th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: faltaItalian: falloFrench: faute

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Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between 'hace falta' and just 'falta'?

Great question! 'Hace falta' means something is necessary or needed in general ('Hace falta estudiar' - It's necessary to study). 'Falta' (from the verb faltar) usually means a specific thing is missing ('Falta un huevo para la receta' - One egg is missing for the recipe). Think of 'hace falta' as 'is needed' and 'falta' as 'is missing'.

Can I say 'Te falto' to mean 'You miss me'?

While you might hear it sometimes, it's much more common and clearer to use 'Me echas de menos' or 'Me extrañas' to say 'You miss me'. 'Te falto' sounds more like 'You are missing me (from your group)' or 'I am lacking to you', which can be a bit awkward.