herausfallen

Herausfallen is a German verb meaning to fall out or come out from inside something. It is used for objects that detach and drop from their place, such as a component, a tooth, a lid, or a button. The verb is separable; with the prefix heraus it is usually separated in the present tense (etwas fällt heraus). It is often contrasted with ausfallen, which can also mean to fail or be cancelled in addition to physical falling.

Grammatical notes: herausfallen is an intransitive, separable verb. In the present tense: ich falle heraus, du fällst heraus, er fällt heraus, wir fallen heraus. In the simple past: ich fiel heraus, du fielst heraus, er fiel heraus. The past participle is herausgefallen, and the auxiliary in the perfect is sein: Die Schraube ist herausgefallen; Der Deckel ist herausgefallen.

Usage examples: Der Zahn ist herausgefallen. Der Deckel fällt heraus. Wenn der Knopf aus der Kleidung herausfiel, musste er repariert werden. In mechanical or medical contexts, herausfallen describes loss of parts, implants, or loose items, while in everyday speech it can refer to small objects like buttons or screws coming out.

Etymology and scope: herausfallen combines heraus (out, outward) with fallen (to fall), emphasizing movement outward from a location or container. The term is widely used in everyday German for physical detachment, and should not be confused with ausfallen, which covers broader meanings such as cancellation, failure, or general falling.