Fallar Examples, Sentences and Quiz in Spanish

Introduction

fallar means "to fail, to miss" in English, and it is a verb you will use constantly once you start speaking Spanish for real. This page shows fallar in everyday sentences, grouped by meaning, then puts it into two short conversations, lists the mistakes learners actually make, and finishes with a ten-question quiz and answers to the most common questions. Every sentence below uses a real form of fallar, so you can copy the patterns and change the person, the tense and the complement to make your own versions. Start with the examples, say them aloud, and then try the quiz without looking back.

Example sentences with fallar

Failing an exam or a plan

Fallar means to fail: fallo el examen. It is the standard verb for exams, plans and attempts that do not work out.

  1. Cada día, yo fallo el examen de matemáticas. — "Every day, I fail the maths exam."
  2. Hoy, él / ella falla en el último minuto del partido. — "Today, he / she fails in the last minute of the match."
  3. Ayer, yo fallé la memoria del ordenador. — "Yesterday, I failed the computer's memory."
  4. Antes, yo fallaba el plan de la empresa. — "Before, I used to fail the company's plan."
  5. Mañana, yo fallaré el examen de matemáticas. — "Tomorrow, I will fail the maths exam."
  6. Hoy, yo he fallado en el último minuto del partido. — "Today, I have failed in the last minute of the match."

Something breaking down

Fallar also means to break down or to stop working: falla la memoria del ordenador. Machines, memories and systems all fallar in Spanish.

  1. Cada día, yo fallo la memoria del ordenador. — "Every day, I fail the computer's memory."
  2. Hoy, él / ella falla el plan de la empresa. — "Today, he / she fails the company's plan."
  3. Ayer, yo fallé el examen de matemáticas. — "Yesterday, I failed the maths exam."
  4. Antes, yo fallaba en el último minuto del partido. — "Before, I used to fail in the last minute of the match."
  5. Mañana, yo fallaré la memoria del ordenador. — "Tomorrow, I will fail the computer's memory."
  6. Hoy, yo he fallado el plan de la empresa. — "Today, I have failed the company's plan."

Fallar in conversation

The two dialogues below show fallar in natural conversation. The first is about failing an exam or a plan, and the second is about something breaking down. Read both parts aloud, then try to continue each dialogue with a sentence of your own.

Dialogue 1

  • ¿Tú fallas el examen de matemáticas? — "Do you fail the maths exam?"
  • Sí, yo fallo el examen de matemáticas cada día. — "Yes, I fail the maths exam every day."
  • ¿Y ayer? ¿Tú fallaste en el último minuto del partido? — "And yesterday? Did you fail in the last minute of the match?"
  • Sí, ayer yo fallé en el último minuto del partido. — "Yes, yesterday I failed in the last minute of the match."
  • Mañana yo fallaré la memoria del ordenador también. — "Tomorrow I will fail the computer's memory too."

Dialogue 2

  • ¿Vosotros falláis la memoria del ordenador? — "Do you fail the computer's memory?"
  • Sí, nosotros fallamos la memoria del ordenador los fines de semana. — "Yes, we fail the computer's memory at the weekends."
  • ¿Y ellos? ¿Ellos fallan el plan de la empresa? — "And them? Do they fail the company's plan?"
  • Sí, ellos fallan el plan de la empresa también. — "Yes, they fail the company's plan too."
  • Mañana nosotros fallaremos la memoria del ordenador otra vez. — "Tomorrow we will fail the computer's memory again."

Common mistakes with fallar in everyday use

Mistake 1

  • Wrong: Yo fallo el examen, pero apruebo.
  • Right: Yo fallo el examen.
  • Why: The second clause contradicts the first. Fallar el examen means you did not pass, so do not add that you passed.

Mistake 2

  • Wrong: Fallo en el examen.
  • Right: Fallo el examen.
  • Why: With an exam, fallar takes a direct object and no preposition: fallo el examen. En is used for moments and places: fallo en el último minuto.

Mistake 3

  • Wrong: Fallar es lo mismo que fracasar.
  • Right: They are close, but fallar is more specific.
  • Why: Fracasar means to fail in life or in a big project. Fallar means to fail at a specific thing, or for something to break down.

Mistake 4

  • Wrong: Cada día, yo fallé el examen de matemáticas.
  • Right: Cada día, yo fallo el examen de matemáticas.
  • Why: Cada día means every day, so the action is a habit and needs the present tense. The preterite is for one finished action, not for routines.

Mistake 5

  • Wrong: Yo fallo el examen de matemáticas ayer por la mañana.
  • Right: Ayer por la mañana yo fallé el examen de matemáticas.
  • Why: Ayer por la mañana means yesterday morning, so the action is finished and needs the preterite, not the present.

Quiz: fallar in use

Ten questions on fallar across the tenses. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.

1. What is the i form of fallar in the present tense?

  • (a) falla
  • (b) fallamos
  • (c) fallo
  • (d) fallas

Answer: (c) fallo. The i form in the present is fallo.

2. What is the he / she form of fallar in the present tense?

  • (a) fallamos
  • (b) falla
  • (c) fallo
  • (d) fallas

Answer: (b) falla. The he / she form in the present is falla.

3. What is the he / she form of fallar in the preterite tense?

  • (a) falló
  • (b) fallé
  • (c) fallaste
  • (d) fallamos

Answer: (a) falló. The he / she form in the preterite is falló.

4. What is the i form of fallar in the imperfect tense?

  • (a) fallo
  • (b) fallé
  • (c) fallaré
  • (d) fallaba

Answer: (d) fallaba. The i form in the imperfect is fallaba. The other options are the same person in the present, preterite and future.

5. What is the i form of fallar in the future tense?

  • (a) fallará
  • (b) fallaremos
  • (c) fallaré
  • (d) fallarás

Answer: (c) fallaré. The i form in the future is fallaré.

6. Which is the correct present perfect form for i?

  • (a) fallé
  • (b) fallaba
  • (c) fallo
  • (d) he fallado

Answer: (d) he fallado. The present perfect is haber + the past participle: he fallado.

7. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ el examen de matemáticas.

  • (a) fallaba
  • (b) falle
  • (c) falla
  • (d) falló

Answer: (b) falle. After espero que, Spanish needs the present subjunctive: falle. The indicative form would be wrong here.

8. What is the we form of fallar in the present tense?

  • (a) fallo
  • (b) fallas
  • (c) falla
  • (d) fallamos

Answer: (d) fallamos. The we form in the present is fallamos.

9. What is the i form of fallar in the preterite tense?

  • (a) falló
  • (b) fallamos
  • (c) fallé
  • (d) fallaste

Answer: (c) fallé. The i form in the preterite is fallé.

10. What is the they form of fallar in the present tense?

  • (a) falla
  • (b) fallan
  • (c) fallo
  • (d) fallas

Answer: (b) fallan. The they form in the present is fallan.

Frequently asked questions about fallar

Is fallar regular?

Yes. Fallar is a regular -ar verb: fallo, fallaste, fallaba, fallaré. The double l is part of the spelling, and it is pronounced as a single sound.

What is the difference between fallar and suspender?

In Spain, suspender el examen is the standard phrase for failing an exam. Fallar el examen is also used, but suspender is more common in school contexts.

Can fallar mean 'to break down'?

Yes: falla el motor means the engine breaks down. It is the standard verb for machines and systems that stop working.

How can I practise fallar?

Start with the examples above: say each sentence aloud, then change the person and the complement. Then take the quiz, and finish with the Verb Quiz and the Conjugation Practice tools, which test the same forms in a different order. A few minutes a day with one verb is worth more than an hour once a week.

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