How to Say "to relapse" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “to relapse” is “recaer” — B1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
Después de tres meses sin fumar, lamentablemente recayó.
After three months without smoking, unfortunately he relapsed.
Ten cuidado con el frío para no recaer en la gripe.
Be careful with the cold so you don't fall ill with the flu again.
Es normal recaer a veces cuando intentas cambiar un hábito.
It is normal to fall back sometimes when you are trying to change a habit.
The 'G' and 'Y' Rule
Just like 'caer' (to fall), this word adds a 'g' in the 'yo' form (recaigo) and changes 'i' to 'y' when the ending starts with an 'o' or 'e' (recayó).
Using 'en' with Recaer
When you want to say WHAT someone relapsed into, always use the word 'en' followed by the thing (e.g., 'recaer EN la tentación').
Don't forget the 'g'!
Mistake: “Yo recao.”
Correction: Yo recaigo. Because it's related to 'caer', it follows its special irregular patterns.
Learn Spanish with Inklingo
Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.