Fallar Present Tense in Spanish
Introduction
fallar means "to fail, to miss" in English, and the present tense is the form you use when you talk about what happens regularly, what is generally true, and what is happening now. This page gives you the full present-tense table for fallar, explains how the tense is formed for this verb, shows when to use it, contrasts it with the closest tense, and finishes with examples, the mistakes learners actually make, a quiz and answers to the most common questions. A natural example is: Cada día, yo fallo el examen de matemáticas. — "Every day, I fail the maths exam." Once you can say that sentence confidently, try changing the person and the complement using the table below.
The present tense of fallar: full table
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| Yo | fallo |
| Tú | fallas |
| Él / Ella | falla |
| Nosotros | fallamos |
| Vosotros | falláis |
| Ellos | fallan |
The gerund of fallar is fallando and the past participle is fallado. The gerund is used for the progressive (estoy fallando), and the participle is used with haber in all perfect tenses (he fallado).
How the present tense of fallar is formed
The present tense of fallar is built from the stem fall- plus the regular -ar endings: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an. Take the infinitive, remove the -ar ending, and add the ending that matches the person: yo fallo, tú fallas, él falla, nosotros fallamos, vosotros falláis and ellos fallan. Once you know the pattern for one regular -ar verb, you can apply it to hundreds of others.
Two more forms belong with this tense. The gerund is fallando, used for the progressive with estar: estoy fallando. The past participle is fallado, used with haber in all perfect tenses: he fallado. Both forms appear constantly, so they are worth memorising on their own.
When to use the present tense with fallar
1. Failing an exam
Fallo el examen de matemáticas is the most familiar use of this verb for students. It means you did not pass, and it is a sentence that belongs to school life. For example: Yo fallo el examen de matemáticas. — "I fail the maths exam."
2. Missing in sport
Fallo en el último minuto del partido shows the verb with en. It means you missed your chance at the decisive moment, and it is the language of football and sport. For example: Tú fallas en el último minuto del partido. — "You fail in the last minute of the match."
3. Machines breaking down
Falla la memoria del ordenador shows the impersonal use: the subject is a thing, and the verb means it stops working properly. It is the standard verb for technical failures. For example: Él / Ella falla la memoria del ordenador. — "He / She fails the computer's memory."
4. Plans and the near future
The present tense is also used for plans that are already fixed, especially with a time expression. Spanish speakers often say the present where English would use a future: the plan is so certain that it feels like a fact. For example, to talk about tomorrow's plan you can use the future — Mañana, yo fallaré el plan de la empresa. — "Tomorrow, I will fail the company's plan." — but in conversation you will also hear the present used the same way.
5. General truths and routines
Finally, the present tense states general truths and routines: what usually happens, what is always true, what people normally do. It is the tense of habits and of facts that do not belong to one moment. For example: Normalmente, él / ella falla el examen de matemáticas. — "Normally, he / she fails the maths exam."
Present vs preterite: fallar
The closest tense to the present is the preterite, and learners mix them up constantly. The rule is simple: the present describes habits, routines and general truths, while the preterite describes one action that started and finished in the past. The three pairs below show the difference with fallar.
Pair 1
- Present (habit): Cada día, yo fallo el examen de matemáticas. — "Every day, I fail the maths exam."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, yo fallé el examen de matemáticas. — "Yesterday, I failed the maths exam."
The first sentence describes something that happens regularly. The second describes something that happened once, yesterday, and is now finished. If you can add cada día, use the present; if you can add ayer, use the preterite.
Pair 2
- Present (habit): Cada día, yo fallo en el último minuto del partido. — "Every day, I fail in the last minute of the match."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, yo fallé en el último minuto del partido. — "Yesterday, I failed in the last minute of the match."
The first sentence describes something that happens regularly. The second describes something that happened once, yesterday, and is now finished. If you can add cada día, use the present; if you can add ayer, use the preterite.
Pair 3
- Present (habit): Cada día, yo fallo la memoria del ordenador. — "Every day, I fail the computer's memory."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, yo fallé la memoria del ordenador. — "Yesterday, I failed the computer's memory."
The first sentence describes something that happens regularly. The second describes something that happened once, yesterday, and is now finished. If you can add cada día, use the present; if you can add ayer, use the preterite.
Examples: fallar in the present tense
These six sentences show fallar in the present tense with a different person each time. Read them aloud, then try changing the person and the complement to make your own versions.
- Yo fallo el examen de matemáticas. — "I fail the maths exam."
- Tú fallas en el último minuto del partido. — "You fail in the last minute of the match."
- Él / Ella falla la memoria del ordenador. — "He / She fails the computer's memory."
- Nosotros fallamos el plan de la empresa. — "We fail the company's plan."
- Vosotros falláis el examen de matemáticas. — "You fail the maths exam."
- Ellos fallan en el último minuto del partido. — "They fail in the last minute of the match."
Common mistakes with fallar in the present tense
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: Ayer, yo fallo el examen de matemáticas.
- Right: Ayer, yo fallé el examen de matemáticas.
- Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite. The present tense is for habits and routines, not for yesterday.
Mistake 5
- Wrong: Yo fallais el examen de matemáticas.
- Right: Yo falláis el examen de matemáticas.
- Why: The form is falláis, with a written accent. The accent is part of the spelling, and without it the word is misspelled.
Quiz: the present tense of fallar
Test yourself with eight questions on the present tense of fallar. 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) fallo
- (b) fallas
- (c) falla
- (d) fallamos
Answer: (a) fallo. The i form is fallo. The other options are the yo, tu, el forms, so check the person before you answer.
2. What is the you form of fallar in the present tense?
- (a) fallo
- (b) falla
- (c) fallamos
- (d) fallas
Answer: (d) fallas. The you form is fallas. The other options are the yo, tu, el forms, so check the person before you answer.
3. What is the he / she form of fallar in the present tense?
- (a) fallas
- (b) fallamos
- (c) falla
- (d) fallo
Answer: (c) falla. The he / she form is falla. The other options are the yo, tu, el forms, so check the person before you answer.
4. What is the we form of fallar in the present tense?
- (a) falla
- (b) fallamos
- (c) fallo
- (d) fallas
Answer: (b) fallamos. The we form is fallamos. The other options are the yo, tu, el forms, so check the person before you answer.
5. What is the they form of fallar in the present tense?
- (a) fallan
- (b) fallo
- (c) fallas
- (d) falla
Answer: (a) fallan. The they form is fallan. The other options are the yo, tu, el forms, so check the person before you answer.
6. Complete the sentence: Cada día, yo ___ el examen de matemáticas.
- (a) falla
- (b) fallamos
- (c) fallo
- (d) fallas
Answer: (c) fallo. The sentence needs the yo form fallo (Every day, I fail the maths exam.)
7. What is the gerund of fallar?
- (a) fallado
- (b) fallar
- (c) falla
- (d) fallando
Answer: (d) fallando. The gerund is fallando, used for the progressive: estoy fallando.
8. Which sentence describes a habit, something you do regularly?
- (a) Cada día, yo fallo en el último minuto del partido.
- (b) Antes, yo fallaba en el último minuto del partido.
- (c) Ayer, yo fallé en el último minuto del partido.
- (d) Mañana, yo fallaré en el último minuto del partido.
Answer: (a) Cada día, yo fallo en el último minuto del partido.. Cada día, yo fallo en el último minuto del partido. (Every day, I fail in the last minute of the match.) describes a habit, so it uses the present tense. Ayer, yo fallé en el último minuto del partido. is a single completed action, and Mañana, yo fallaré en el último minuto del partido. is in the future.
Frequently asked questions about the present tense of 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.
When do I use the present tense instead of the preterite with fallar?
Use the present for habits and routines: Cada día, yo fallo el examen de matemáticas. — "Every day, I fail the maths exam." Use the preterite for one finished action: Ayer, yo fallé el examen de matemáticas. — "Yesterday, I failed the maths exam." If the action happens regularly, choose the present; if it happened once and is finished, choose the preterite.