“How do you say fall in Spanish?Also, ” The answer depends on what you mean: otoño is the season, caer means “to fall,” and caída is the act or result of falling. Understanding these distinctions will help you choose the correct Spanish word and avoid confusing literal translations.
The Short Answer
The three most important translations are:
- Fall = otoño when referring to the season.
- To fall = caer when describing the action.
- A fall = una caída when referring to an incident or result.
Examples:
- El otoño llegó temprano. — Fall arrived early.
- Las hojas caen en otoño. — Leaves fall in autumn.
- Fue una caída peligrosa. — It was a dangerous fall.
English uses fall as a noun, verb, and season name, but Spanish normally uses different words for those functions.
Saying “Fall” as a Season
Use otoño for the season between summer and winter. It is a masculine noun, so the definite article is el:
- el otoño — fall or autumn
- un otoño frío — a cold fall
- en otoño — in the fall
- durante el otoño — during the fall
The word is used throughout the Spanish-speaking world. Unlike English, Spanish does not normally distinguish between American fall and British or formal autumn. Both meanings become otoño.
Example Sentences
- Me gusta caminar por el parque en otoño. — I like walking through the park in the fall.
- Las temperaturas bajan durante el otoño. — Temperatures drop during autumn.
- El primer día del otoño suele ser en septiembre. — The first day of fall is usually in September.
Spanish season names are written in lowercase unless they begin a sentence or appear in a title. Because of this, write otoño, not Otoño, in ordinary text.
Using “Caer” as a Verb
Caer means “to fall” or “to drop.” It is an irregular verb, so some forms do not follow the regular -er pattern:
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| I fall | yo caigo |
| You fall | tú caes |
| He or she falls | él o ella cae |
