verb

fallen

fall

Sich nach unten bewegen, ohne Kontrolle, oft durch die Schwerkraft verursacht.

Definition & meaning

The verb fallen primarily refers to the physical action of moving downwards rapidly and uncontrollably due to gravity. However, it is a versatile word in German with several distinct meanings depending on the context:

Physical falling: To drop from a higher position to a lower one, often accidentally, such as a person tripping or an apple falling from a tree.
Decrease or decline: Used to describe a reduction in values, measurements, or intensity. For example, prices, temperatures, or pressure can fall.
Military context: To be killed in battle or during a war. A soldier who dies in combat is described as "gefallen".
Capture or surrender: Used when a city, a fortress, or a government is overtaken by an enemy or collapses.
Occurrence: To take place or happen at a specific time or in a specific way. For instance, a holiday might "fall" on a Monday.
Categorization: To belong to a certain group or be subject to a specific rule (usually with the preposition "unter").

Grammar & Word origin

The word fallen is a strong verb (starkes Verb). Its principal parts are:

Präsens: er/sie/es fällt
Präteritum: fiel
Perfekt: ist gefallen

Because it denotes a change of location or state, it always takes the auxiliary verb sein in the perfect tense.

Etymologically, fallen originates from the Middle High German vallen and Old High German fallan. It is derived from the Proto-Germanic root *fallan, which is also the source of the English word "to fall" and the Dutch vallen.