Portuguese · Everyday Verbs
"to fall" in Portuguese: cair
cair
To fall in Portuguese is cair. Say eu caio for habits and ela caiu when someone already slipped—phones, rain, or a missed step.
Wet floor
Cuidado—eu caio fácil nesse piso molhado.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce cair
Say it
kah-EER / KAH-yoo / kah-EE-oo
/ˈkajʁ/
kah-EER. Eu caio is KAH-yoo; caiu is kah-EE-oo
"to fall" in Portuguese: quick reference
| Portuguese | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| cair | to fall Dictionary form. | Dictionary form. |
| eu caio | I fall Present first person. | Present first person. |
| ela caiu | she fell Past third person. | Past third person. |
| caiu | it/he/she fell Common past. | Common past. |
| cuidado para não cair | careful not to fall Warning. | Warning. |
How to use cair in real life
- 1Wet floor
Cuidado—eu caio fácil nesse piso molhado.
Careful—I fall easily on this wet floor.
Eu caio.
- 2Dropped keys
A chave caiu atrás do sofá.
The key fell behind the sofa.
Caiu = fell.
- 3Story retell
Ela caiu na escada, mas está bem.
She fell on the stairs, but she's fine.
Ela caiu.
Mistakes English speakers make with cair
Incorrect: Eu queda no chão.
Correct: Eu caio no chão. / Eu caí no chão.
Cair is the verb; a queda is the noun.
Incorrect: Eu cair ontem.
Correct: Eu caí ontem.
Past: caí.
Good to know
After a slip, Brazilians check você está bem? before joking. Caiu bem can also mean something landed well figuratively—context decides.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Helping after a sidewalk slip
ChatPal
Você caiu? Posso ajudar?
Did you fall? Can I help?
You
Caí no buraco da calçada.
I fell in the sidewalk hole.
ChatPal
Devagar—eu também caio nessas pedras soltas.
Slowly—I fall on those loose stones too.
You
Valeu. Só um joelho ralado.
Thanks. Just a scraped knee.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"to fall" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to fall" in Portuguese
I fall?
Eu caio.
I fell?
Eu caí.
It fell?
Caiu.
The fall (noun)?
A queda—different word.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
