Abfällt

Abfällt is the third-person singular present tense form of the German verb abfallen (to fall off, to detach). The verb abfallen is separable, so in present tense it is typically written as two words: er fällt ab. The infinitive is abfallen; the simple past is fiel ab; the past participle is abgefallen. In standard usage the form abfällt appears in written texts as the inflected present-tense form (two words) rather than as a single unit.

Usage and senses

- Physical detachment: abfallen describes something that detaches from a surface or body and falls away. Examples include leaves in autumn (Die Blätter fallen im Herbst ab), hair or teeth (Die Haare fallen aus; ein Zahn fällt ab), or a rock fragment (Ein Felsblock fällt ab).

- Decline or decrease: abfallen can also indicate a downward change in quantity, value, or degree. Examples include prices, sales, or temperatures dropping (Der Umsatz fällt ab; Die Temperaturen fallen ab; Die Nachfrage fällt ab).

Other notes

- In context, abfallen can refer to removal or disappearance from a list or ranking (aus einer Liste abfallen).

- The verb is used with the auxiliary ist in Perfekt when describing a change of state or a physical detachment (Der Ast ist abgefallen). In contrast, some cases of abstract decrease are also common with ist abgefallen.

- Related verbs include fallen, sinken, and abnehmen, which cover related notions of moving downward or diminishing.

See also

fall, fallen, abnehmen, sinken, abfallen aus Listen.