adjectiveverb

entfallen

forgot · forget · cancel · slip · fall

Etwas findet nicht statt oder ist nicht mehr nötig.

Definition & meaning

entfallen has several related meanings:

To slip someone’s mind; to be forgotten.
Usually used with jemandem (“to someone”): Der Name ist mir entfallen means “I’ve forgotten the name” or, literally, “The name has slipped my mind.”
To be omitted, dropped, or no longer required.
Der letzte Tagesordnungspunkt entfällt means “The final item on the agenda is omitted” or “The final item is cancelled.”
To be allotted to, fall to, or account for.
Often used with auf: Auf die Stadt entfallen 30 Prozent der Kosten means “The city accounts for 30 percent of the costs” or “Thirty percent of the costs are allotted to the city.”

Grammar & Word origin

entfallen is an intransitive, inseparable verb. Its principal forms are entfallen – entfällt – entfiel – ist entfallen. The past participle has no ge- because the prefix ent- is inseparable.

The verb combines ent- with fallen , “to fall.” Its meanings developed from the idea of something falling away or slipping away.

Common constructions include:

jemandem entfallen: to slip someone’s mind
entfallen: to be omitted or cancelled
auf jemanden/etwas entfallen: to be allotted to someone/something or to account for a share

Synonyms & antonyms

The closest synonym depends on the meaning:

vergessen — “to forget.” Similar to the memory-related meaning, but entfallen often presents the information as having slipped from memory, while vergessen is the more general verb for forgetting.
wegfallen — “to be dropped” or “to cease to apply.” Similar when something is removed or no longer needed; entfallen is also commonly used for omitted agenda items or cancelled events.
ausfallen — “to be cancelled” or “to fail to take place.” Often used for events, classes, or services; entfallen can sound more formal and can also mean that something is simply omitted.
zukommen — “to be due or assigned to.” This can be close to the allotted-share meaning, though it is not interchangeable in every context.

Possible antonyms also depend on the meaning:

einfallen — “to come to mind,” the opposite of something slipping from memory.
hinzukommen — “to be added,” which contrasts with something being omitted or dropped.
bestehen bleiben — “to remain in force,” which contrasts with a requirement or arrangement that entfällt (“ceases to apply”).

Common phrases & collocations

Der Name ist mir entfallen — “I’ve forgotten the name.”
Der Termin entfällt — “The appointment is cancelled.”
Der Tagesordnungspunkt entfällt — “The agenda item is omitted.”
Auf etwas entfallen 30 Prozent — “Thirty percent is attributable to / accounted for by something.”
Die Kosten entfallen auf mehrere Abteilungen — “The costs are allocated among several departments.”