Me caí por las escaleras
/me kai poɾ las eskaleɾas/from spelling rules
The English phrase "I fell down the stairs" is translated into Spanish as Me caí por las escaleras.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use en instead of por when trying to say they fell down a flight of stairs. Instead of saying caí en las escaleras, use Me caí por las escaleras.
Did you know?
- The word escaleras refers specifically to stairs, but in some Latin American countries, a ladder is also called escalera. This can lead to confusion about whether someone fell down a staircase or off a tool.
- In some contexts, caer is used idiomatically to describe falling for a joke or a prank, similar to the English phrase 'falling for it'.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, if someone says me caí por las escaleras, a common sympathetic response is ¡Ay Dios mío! or ¡Qué susto!, regardless of whether there was an actual injury.
Examples in context
- Me caí por las escaleras esta mañana.I fell down the stairs this morning.
- No es nada grave, solo me caí por las escaleras.It is nothing serious, I just fell down the stairs.
- ¡Ay! Me caí por las escaleras y me duele el pie.Ouch! I fell down the stairs and my foot hurts.
Example conversation
Javier is checking on Elena after she enters the living room limping.
- ElenaMe caí por las escaleras y me duele mucho la pierna.I fell down the stairs and my leg hurts a lot.
- Javier¿Estás bien, Elena? ¿Necesitas ayuda?Are you okay, Elena? Do you need help?
- ElenaCreo que solo necesito sentarme un momento.I think I just need to sit down for a moment.
- JavierVen, te ayudaré a sentarte en el sofá.Come, I will help you sit on the sofa.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
