The preterite of caerse is used to express when someone fell at a specific moment in the past. For example, “I fell off my bike yesterday” – “Me caí de la bicicleta ayer.”
This is an irregular reflexive verb in the preterite. Remember to include the appropriate reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nos, os, se) before the conjugated form of caer.
Conjugations
Conjugations of Caerse (to fall) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | me caí |
| Tú | te caíste |
| Él / Ella / Usted | se cayó |
| Nosotros / Nosotras | nos caímos |
| Vosotros / Vosotras | os caísteis |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | se cayeron |
Boost Your Memorization with Audio!
We’ve included audio recordings of the the conjugations of Caerse (to fall) in the Preterite (Past) Tense to help you learn faster.
Pro Tip: Play the audio on a loop as you study the chart. This repetition will solidify the correct conjugations in your memory.
Usage of Caerse in the Preterite (Past) Tense
The Preterite of caerse indicates completed instances of falling.
To fall (completed action): Used for specific falls, for example Me caí de la bicicleta (I fell from the bicycle), or Se cayeron en el hielo (They fell on the ice).
To drop/collapse: Describes sudden descent, for example Se cayó el jarrón (The vase fell).
Examples
Examples of Caerse in the Preterite (Past) Tense
Me caí de la bicicleta. (I fell off the bicycle.)
¿Te caíste en el hielo? (Did you fall on the ice?)
Juan se cayó de la escalera. (Juan fell from the ladder.)
Nos caímos en el barro. (We fell in the mud.)
Los niños se cayeron jugando. (The children fell while playing.)
Me caí dormido durante la película. (I fell asleep during the movie.)
Te caíste en la trampa. (You fell into the trap.)
El jarrón se cayó de la mesa. (The vase fell from the table.)
Nos caímos al tropezar con la alfombra. (We fell when we tripped on the rug.)
Las hojas se cayeron de los árboles. (The leaves fell from the trees.)
Me caí al salir del coche. (I fell when getting out of the car.)
¿Cómo te caíste? (How did you fall?)
El cuadro se cayó de la pared. (The painting fell from the wall.)
Nos caímos de risa con sus chistes. (We fell over laughing at their jokes.)
Los libros se cayeron del estante. (The books fell from the shelf.)
Conjugations with English Translations
Conjugations of Caerse (to fall) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo me caí | I fell |
| Tú te caíste | You fell |
| Él / Ella / Usted se cayó | He / She / You (formal) fell |
| Nosotros / Nosotras nos caímos | We fell |
| Vosotros / Vosotras os caísteis | You all fell |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes se cayeron | They / You all (formal) fell |
This post covers Castilian Spanish. For Latin American Spanish, click here
Synonyms
The Preterite tense is also known as the Simple Past, Past Simple, Definite Past, Absolute Past, or Past Tense Indicative in English, and as Pretérito Perfecto Simple, Pretérito Indefinido, Pretérito Simple, Pasado Simple, or Pretérito de Indicativo in Spanish.