Inklingo

How to Say "fail!" in Spanish

The Spanish word forfail!is fallaA2 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.

English → SpanishA2

falla

verbA2
informal command (tú)
A small, frustrated character stumbling and failing to cross a finish line.

Examples

Si la luz roja se enciende, es porque el motor falla.

If the red light comes on, it's because the engine is failing/malfunctioning.

Siempre falla cuando tiene que tomar una decisión difícil.

He always fails when he has to make a difficult decision.

No falla el examen, solo necesita estudiar más.

She is not failing the exam, she just needs to study more. (Note: Often used with 'no')

Tú Command Form

The word 'falla' is also the informal command used when telling one person what to do: '¡Falla!' (Fail!)

Confusing Noun and Verb

Mistake:Using 'la falla' when you mean 'he/she fails'.

Correction: The noun 'la falla' means 'the mistake.' The verb form 'falla' means 'he/she/it fails.' Listen for the surrounding words (like 'el' or 'la') to know which one is being used.

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