Key Facts
- Hangul: 떨어지다 (tteoreojida)
- Meaning: to fall
- Part of speech: verb (동사)
- Level: A2
- Stem: 떨어지
- Class: regular
- Objects: intransitive
What Does 떨어지다 Mean?
떨어지다 covers things that go down or come off: a cup, rain, a score, autumn leaves. The same verb also means to fail an exam, as in 시험에 떨어지다, and that sense is just as common. The subject takes 이/가 and nothing takes 을/를. Since the verb describes something happening to the subject, the table has no 'want to' form.
Senses:
- to fall. Drop down from a height or come off: 비가 떨어지다, 점수가 떨어지다.
- to fail. Fail an exam: 시험에 떨어지다.
How Do You Pronounce 떨어지다?
The verb is said tteo-reo-ji-da. The ㄹ at the end of 떨 moves onto the next syllable, so the polite present 떨어져요 is said [떠러저요] and the past 떨어졌어요 is said [떠러저써요]. The formal present 떨어집니다 is said [떠러짐니다]. Every form in the table below has its sound written out.
How Do You Use 떨어지다 in a Sentence?
컵이 바닥에 떨어졌어요.
The cup fell onto the floor.
컵이 바닥에 떨어졌어요 is the physical sense. 컵이 is the subject, 바닥에 gives the landing place with 에, and the past form reports the fall.
시험에 떨어지면 슬퍼요.
It is sad if you fail an exam.
시험에 떨어지면 슬퍼요 uses the exam sense. The exam takes 에, and 떨어지면 makes the failure a condition.
나뭇잎이 떨어지는 가을이에요.
It is autumn when leaves fall.
나뭇잎이 떨어지는 가을이에요 uses 떨어지는 before a noun: 'autumn, when leaves fall'. The leaves are the subject, so they take 이.
How Does Tteoreojida Conjugation Work?
떨어지다 is regular. Its stem 떨어지 contracts with 어 into 져 in the polite and casual forms: 떨어져요, 떨어졌어요, 떨어져서. Everything else keeps the full stem: 떨어지면, 떨어지는, 떨어진 and 떨어질. The same table works for both senses, so 시험에 떨어졌어요 and 컵이 떨어졌어요 use the same past form.
떨어지다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 떨어져요 | ||
| Polite past | 떨어졌어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 떨어질 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 떨어지겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 떨어집니다 | ||
| Formal past | 떨어졌습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 떨어질 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 떨어져 | ||
| Casual past | 떨어졌어 | ||
| Casual future | 떨어질 거야 | ||
| Honorific polite | 떨어지세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 떨어져서 | ||
| Conditional (if) | 떨어지면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 떨어지는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 떨어진 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 떨어질 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 떨어져요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 떨어지지 않아요 |
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sound if different |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 떨어져요 | [떠러저요] |
| Polite past | 떨어졌어요 | [떠러저써요] |
| Polite future (plan) | 떨어질 거예요 | [떠러질꺼예요] |
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 떨어지겠어요 | [떠러지게써요] |
| Formal present | 떨어집니다 | [떠러짐니다] |
| Formal past | 떨어졌습니다 | [떠러젇씀니다] |
| Formal future | 떨어질 것입니다 | [떠러질꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 떨어져 | [떠러저] |
| Casual past | 떨어졌어 | [떠러저써] |
| Casual future | 떨어질 거야 | [떠러질꺼야] |
| Want to (polite) | No standard form | The subject does not control this event, so -고 싶다 is not normally used. |
| Honorific polite | 떨어지세요 | [떠러지세요] |
| Because / and then | 떨어져서 | [떠러저서] |
| Conditional (if) | 떨어지면 | [떠러지면] |
| Modifier, present | 떨어지는 | [떠러지는] |
| Modifier, past | 떨어진 | [떠러진] |
| Modifier, future | 떨어질 | [떠러질] |
| Short negative | 안 떨어져요 | [안 떠러저요] |
| Long negative | 떨어지지 않아요 | [떠러지지 아나요] |
Is 떨어지다 Regular or Irregular?
떨어지다 is regular. The stem does not lose or change a letter; the only change is the 지 + 어 contraction to 져. That contraction is shown in the polite present recipe, which applies to every regular verb ending in 지다.
Common Mistake with 떨어지다
Wrong: ✗ 시험을 떨어졌어요.
Correct: ✓ 시험에 떨어졌어요.
Why: With the exam sense, the exam is not an object. It takes 에, as it does with 합격하다 in the opposite meaning. 떨어지다 never takes an object.
떨어지다 Compared with 넘어지다 and 합격하다
The English words 'fall' and 'fail' hide a choice in Korean. One verb covers both, while the neighbouring verbs pick out narrower ideas.
| Word | How it differs |
|---|---|
| 넘어지다 | 넘어지다 is falling over from a standing position; 떨어지다 is falling from above. A runner who trips is 넘어지다; a plate that slides off a shelf is 떨어지다. |
| 합격하다 | 합격하다 is the opposite for exams: pass. Say 합격하다 for good news about an exam and 떨어지다 for the bad news. |
A Loose Button at the Office
Two coworkers notice a shirt button on the floor. The exchange moves from reporting what happened to checking whether another button may come off.
Jisu
단추가 떨어졌어요.
Danchuga tteoreojyeosseoyo.
A button has come off.
Alex
어디에 떨어졌어요?
Eodie tteoreojyeosseoyo?
Where did it fall?
Jisu
바닥에 있어요. 이 단추도 떨어질 거예요.
Badage isseoyo. I danchudo tteoreojil geoyeyo.
It’s on the floor. This button is going to come off too.
Alex
단추가 자꾸 떨어져요.
Danchuga jakku tteoreojyeoyo.
The buttons keep coming off.
The first 떨어졌어요 describes separation from the shirt. The second question asks where the button landed. 자꾸 means “repeatedly” or “keeps”, so the present 떨어져요 describes a recurring problem. The future form predicts another detachment; it does not describe an intentional plan by the button.
Common Combinations beyond a Physical Fall
단추가 떨어지다 means that a button comes off. The starting point is attachment to clothing, rather than a high shelf. English may choose “come off” where Korean still uses 떨어지다. The button takes 가 because it is the thing undergoing the change.
기온이 떨어지다 means that the air temperature drops. 점수가 떨어지다 means that a score goes down. These are changes on a scale, with no physical object falling. A forecast or a conversation about exam results can use the same conjugation as a sentence about a cup.
배터리가 떨어지다 means that a battery runs low or runs out. Context supplies how far it has gone down; the bare phrase need not give an exact remaining charge. It describes dwindling power, rather than a battery physically falling out of a device.
떨어져 있다 describes being apart or separated. The phrase is useful for people standing apart, objects some distance from each other, or places located away from a reference point. 있다 describes the resulting state. A past event such as 떨어졌어요 and a continuing state such as 떨어져 있어요 answer different questions.
Reporting a Result Versus Causing It
떨어지다 describes what happens to the subject. 떨어뜨리다 means to drop something or make it fall, with the thing dropped as an object. A cup can fall without your sentence identifying who caused it. To say that you dropped the cup, choose the verb that names the action causing the fall.
In the exam sense, 시험에 names the test. The person is the subject, even when omitted. 점수가 떨어지다 reports a lower score, while 시험에 떨어지다 reports failure. Someone’s score can go down while still being high enough to pass, so the two expressions carry different information.
Where Will You Meet These Senses?
Weather reports pair the verb with temperature. School conversations pair it with scores and exam results. Everyday clothing talk uses it for buttons coming off, while autumn descriptions use it for falling leaves. Identify the subject before choosing an English translation.
The formal 떨어집니다 fits announcements and reports; 떨어졌어요 fits a polite personal account. The table’s honorific form is possible grammatically, but a command telling someone to fall or fail is rarely what you want. Most useful beginner sentences report or predict the event instead.
Words for Falls and Results
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 떨어뜨리다 | to drop something | Names causing the fall and takes an object. |
| 단추 | button | A common subject when something comes off clothing. |
| 점수 | score | Can decrease without the person failing. |
| 불합격 | failure; unsuccessful result | Often appears in written exam-result notices. |
The exams and grades vocabulary lesson adds words for written results and score reports.
Mini Drill
- Give the polite past for a button that came off.
- Choose 을 or 에: 시험____ 떨어졌어요.
- Give the conditional form.
- Give the future modifier used in a prediction.
Show drill answers
- 떨어졌어요.
- 시험에 떨어졌어요.
- 떨어지면, keeping 지 before 면.
- 떨어질, as in 떨어질 거예요.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 점수가 떨어지다 necessarily mean failing an exam?
- Which verb says that you cause something to fall?
- Can 떨어지다 describe a button coming off a shirt?
Show answers
- No. It means the score goes down.
- 떨어뜨리다.
- Yes. It can describe detachment as well as downward movement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does 떨어지다 Mean Both 'Fall' and 'Fail'?
Yes. It means to drop from a height or come off, and with an exam it means to fail.
Which Particle Goes with the Exam?
The exam takes 에: 시험에 떨어지다.
What Is the Opposite of Failing an Exam?
합격하다, which means to pass.
Why Is There No 'Want to' Form?
The subject does not control the event, so -고 싶다 is not normally used here.
Which Words Are Related to 떨어지다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Learn 합격하다 next, so you can talk about both results of an exam, and compare 쓰러지다 for people who collapse. Test other verbs in the Korean verb conjugator or browse the Korean verb dictionary.