How to Use Fell or Fallen (Irregular Verbs)

First published on December 17, 2022 by Dalia Y.|Last revised on October 20, 2024

Fall is in the present tense. Fell is the simple past, and fallen is the past participle.

How to Use Fell or Fallen (Irregular Verbs)

What's the past tense of "fall"?

The simple past tense of fall is fell, and the past participle is fallen. Use fell for simple past tense and fallen for past participle forms.

Definition of fall

The Oxford English Dictionary defines fall as "to move downward, typically rapidly and freely without control, from a higher to a lower level." It's an irregular verb that doesn't follow the standard "-ed" pattern for past tenses.

The past tense of fall is fell.
The past participle of fall is fallen.

Verb forms of 'fall'

Simple Cont. Perfect Perfect Cont.

Present

I/you/they fall • He/she/it falls

Past

I/you/they fell • He/she/it fell

Future

I/you/they will fall • He/she/it will fall

Present

I am/you are falling • He/she/it is falling

Past

I was/you were falling • He/she/it was falling

Future

I/you will be falling • He/she/it will be falling

Present

I/you have fallen • He/she/it has fallen

Past

I/you had fallen • He/she/it had fallen

Future

I/you will have fallen • He/she/it will have fallen

Present

I have been falling • He/she/it has been falling

Past

I had been falling • He/she/it had been falling

Future

I will have been falling • He/she/it will have been falling

Is "fall" a regular or irregular verb?

The verb fall is irregular. Its past tense form is fell and past participle form is fallen, not "falled" or "fallened." This is a common pattern for irregular verbs that change their vowel sounds in different tenses.

When to use fell vs. fallen

I fell and hurt my wrist.

I have fallen off a horse once while riding in the countryside.

The verb fall uses different forms for simple past tense and present or past perfect, it requires an auxiliary verb like have, has, or had. The simple past doesn't use a helper verb since it's a complete tense, so fell can stand alone in sentences, whereas participles require an auxiliary verb.

Similar irregular verbs

fall

Past: fell

Past part: fallen

rise

Past: rose

Past part: risen

come

Past: came

Past part: come

Past: went

Past part: gone

Sentence examples: fall, fell, fallen

Fall (present tense)

• Every time I visit the hills, I fall in love with nature.

• The house looked like it was about to fall down.

• Apples fall from a tree when there's a storm.

Fell (past simple)

• One of the kids fell into the river.

• The leaf fell on my shoulder.

• A climber fell to his death.

Fallen (present or past perfect)

• I have fallen off a horse once.

• A fallen tree obstructed the road.

• I sat her on a fallen log by the side of the dirt track.

Synonyms & nearby words

Synonyms for fall

drop descend plummet tumble collapse crumble topple slip slide decline decrease

Nearby phrases

fall down fall apart fall behind fall in love fall asleep fall short fall into fall out

Practice: "Fall" conjugations

FAQs

What is the past tense of "fall"?

The past tense of "fall" is "fell."

What is the past participle of "fall"?

The past participle of "fall" is "fallen."

Is "fall" a regular or irregular verb?

"Fall" is an irregular verb; its past forms are not made by adding -ed.

When do I use "fell"?

Use "fell" for simple past actions, referring to something that happened and finished in the past.

When do I use "fallen"?

Use "fallen" with auxiliary verbs like "has," "have," or "had" to form perfect tenses.

Sources

"Fall." Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fall. Accessed 11 Mar. 2023.
Simpson, J. A., and E. S. C. Weiner. "Fall, v." Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Date of access 15 Jan. 2025.