Caerse Conjugation: Free Spanish Lesson, Quiz, and PDF

From time to time, everyone falls down; it’s time to get back up again and learn about caerse conjugation step-by-step! Caerse most commonly translates to “to fall” in English.

Caerse is a stem-changing -ER verb and a reflexive verb that refers to a person’s or animal’s fall. Depending on the context, it may mean:

• to tumble  
• to spill  
• to fall down/out/over 
• to sag 
• to topple 
• to come off 
• to give way 
• to tip over

Plus, the following phrasal verbs use caerse:

• caerse muerto – to drop dead 
• caerse en algo – to fall into (something)
• caerse rodando – to roll off 
• caerse a pedazos – to fall to pieces, fall apart
• caerse de sueño – to be unable to stay awake
• caerse de espaldas – to be astonished, bowled over

Today, we’ll learn caerse conjugation in multiple forms, encompassing three moods: 

• Indicative (present, past, conditional, and future)
• Subjunctive (present and past)
• Imperative 

A Note on Caer vs Caerse

Caer is generally used when referring to the fall of inanimate objects. Although it is also used to refer to the fall of a person. In contrast, caerse should only be used when referring to a person or other living creature. 

Caerse is a reflexive verb, meaning that the action is actively done by the subject of the sentence and affects that same subject. Only a living thing can carry out an action in such a way, and so reflexive verbs should generally only be used for living things. Although Spanish speakers often use caerse to refer to things that fall, this usage is grammatically incorrect.

See also: The Key to Reflexive Pronouns in Spanish  

Pro tip: don’t confuse the use of caerse as opposed to the impersonal se + caer, which is used to mean that an inanimate object fell accidentally. For example:

Se me cayó la llave.
The key fell (from me).

Se me ha caído mi bolsita y no me di cuenta
My purse has fallen, and I didn’t realize it.

The Ultimate Guide to Caerse Conjugation

This guide to caerse conjugation is made for students who are both familiar and unfamiliar with all the tenses. At the end of the article, you’ll find some exercises to help you practice your new skills.

Caerse Conjugation: Verbals

For these caerse conjugations, there are two forms of caer that you need to learn.

1. Conjugation of haber + past participle of caer.
2. Conjugation of estar + gerund form of caer.

The infinitive form of the verb is caerse.
The past participle is caído. 
The gerund form is cayendo.

These compound tenses involve using the helping verbs haber and estar. The caerse conjugation changes in these tenses happen within the helping verbs, while the form of caer stays the same. 

Let’s see some examples:

Si no puede ver claramente, tiene más probabilidades de caerse.
If you cannot see clearly, you are more likely to fall.

Creo que ellos se han caído.
I think they’ve fallen down.

¡Ayuda! Me estoy cayendo.
Help! I’m falling.

Caerse Conjugation: Indicative Mood

Present simple

Keep in mind that the formal construction of tú (you) is usted, and its tenses are the exact same as él and ella.

Casi me caigo de la silla cuando vi su mensaje.
I nearly fell off my chair when I saw his message.

La viejita se cae constantemente.
The old lady falls down constantly.

Past Simple

El jinete se cayó del caballo. 
The rider tumbled off the horse.

Rompí el paquete y los gusanos se cayeron por toda la mesa. 
I broke the bag and the worms spilled all over the table.

Past Imperfect

Si me caía, alguien podía haber tropezado.
If I fell, someone could have tripped.

Él intentaba huir, pero no podía y se caía.
He tried to flee, but he couldn’t get away and fell down.

Conditional

No creí que nos caeríamos.
I didn’t think we would fall.

Este tipo de presidente se caería sin remisión.
This type of president would inevitably tumble down.

Future Simple

No me caeré en esa trampa.
I will not fall into that trap.

¿Crees que se caerá alguien en ese hoyo? 
Do you think that someone will fall into this hole?

Caerse Conjugation: Subjunctive Mood

We use the subjunctive mood to talk about hypotheses, hopes, wishes, or uncertainty. The word que (that) normally is located a couple of words before the verb, if not immediately before the reflexive pronoun.

Present Subjunctive

Espero que la señora no se caiga otra vez. 
I hope the lady doesn’t fall down again.

Es probable que se caiga. 
It is probable that she will fall.

Past Subjunctive

The caerse conjugation in past subjunctive tense can either end in -ara or –ase. Both ways are accepted, although -ara is more common and informal. When writing a formal letter, I suggest you use the verb ending -ase. This also applies in the next tense with -era and -ese.

Siento como si se me cayera el brazo.
I feel like my arm is about to fall off.

Tal vez resbalara y se cayera.
Maybe he tripped and fell.

Past Perfect Subjunctive

For the past perfect subjunctive tense, we use the auxiliary verb haber and the past participle of caer.

Nunca hubiera caído en una estafa como esta hace un año.
I never would have fallen for a scam like this a year ago.

Me sentí como si me hubiera caído de una rueda de la fortuna.
I felt as if I had fallen off a Ferris wheel.

Present Perfect Subjunctive

For the perfect subjunctive tense, we use the auxiliary verb haber and the past participle of caer.

Quizás se haya caído por el acantilado.
She might have fallen from these cliffs.

Recoger semillas, hojas u otras cosas que se hayan caído de las plantas.
Collect seeds, leaves, or other parts that may have fallen from plants.

Another subjunctive tense exists, the future. Since it is rarely used, I am not including it in this lesson. 

Caerse Conjugation: Imperative Mood

The imperative mood is used to give commands. These tenses don’t include most of the subject pronouns since you can’t give commands in the first person singular (yo) or plural (nosotros) or the third person (él, ella, ellos, ellas). 

The imperative mood emphasizes the verb, as the sentence normally starts with it unless it is a negative form. In these cases, the reflexive pronoun sometimes adds to the verb at the end.

¡Cuidado, no te caigas! 
Careful! Don’t fall down!

Time to practice what we’ve learned!

Caerse Conjugation Quiz

Check your understanding of caerse conjugation with the following exercises. Be sure to check each answer with the answer key below. ¡Buena suerte!

Exercise 1

Identify the tense and pronoun of each caerse conjugation.

1. Me caigo

2. Te caerás

3. Se cayeron

4. Nos hayamos caído

5. No se caiga

Exercise 2

Conjugate caerse in the tense given.

1. Usted – Past Imperfect Subjective 

2. Tú – Imperative Affirmative

3. Ellas – Past Imperfect

4. Nosotros – Conditional 

5. Yo – Past perfect subjunctive

Exercise 3

Fill in the blank with the correct form of caerse. Remember to include the reflexive pronouns.

1. Las antiguas iglesias y monasterios ________ a pedazos. (present simple)

2. A veces _________ pero levantarme y proseguir en el sendero era natural. (past imperfect)

3. Si _________ ahí dentro, moriremos. (present simple)

4. Él quería que _____________ pero no pasó así. (yo, past subjunctive)

5. ¡Cuidado, ___________! (ustedes, imperative negative)

Exercise 4

Translate the following sentences to English.

1. Quizás te caíste y te golpeaste la cabeza.

2. Me caí anoche. 

3. ¿Dónde te caíste?

4. Mis amigos y yo nos caímos en la nieve.

5. Pepe se cayó en la pista de patinaje. 

Click here to see the answer key!

Fall Down, Get Up, and Practice Spanish!

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Answer Key

Exercise 1

1. Yo – Present simple

2. Tú – Future simple

3. Él, ella, usted – Past simple

4. Nosotros – Present perfect subjunctive

5. El, ella, usted – Negative imperative 

Exercise 2

1. Se cayera

2. Caéte 

3. Se caían

4: Nos caeríamos

5: Me hubiera / hubiese caído

Exercise 3

1. se cae

2. me caía 

3. nos caemos

4. me cayera

5. no se caigan

Exercise 4 

1. Maybe you fell and hit your head.

2. I fell last night.

3. Where did you fall?

4. My friends and I fell in the snow.

5. Pepe fell at the ice rink.

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Michelle Margaret Fajkus

Editor & Writer at Homeschool Spanish Academy

Michelle Margaret Fajkus is a bilingual writer and longtime yoga teacher. A former advertising copywriter turned bilingual elementary school teacher, she is now a freelance writer, editor and translator. A native Texan, Michelle has Mexican roots and learned Spanish in middle and high school. She has become more fluent thanks to living as an expat in Guatemala. She lives with her family on beautiful Lake Atitlan.

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