How to Say "i dropped" in Spanish

The Spanish word for “i dropped” is “caí” — A1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.

English → SpanishA1

caí

VerbA1

as in, accidentally dropped something (less common, but possible)

A simple cartoon figure is shown mid-fall, tumbling downwards after tripping over a small mound on the ground.

Examples

Me tropecé con el cable y **caí** al suelo.

I tripped on the cable and I fell to the ground.

Cuando abrí la puerta, **caí** en un charco.

When I opened the door, I fell into a puddle.

The Special Accent on 'caí'

The accent mark on the 'í' is crucial! It tells you to pronounce the 'a' and 'i' as two separate sounds (kah-EE), not blended together like in English 'rain'.

Irregular 'Yo' Form

The present tense 'yo' form is irregular: 'yo caigo' (I fall), not 'yo caeo'. This 'g' sound carries over into the present subjunctive verb forms as well.

Missing the Accent

Mistake: “Escribí 'cai' sin acento.”

Correction: Always use 'caí'. Without the accent, it would sound like a single syllable, which is incorrect for this past tense form.

See full entry for “caí” →

Related Translations

i fell→i succumbed→

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