What does it mean word for word?
Literally, se te cayó translates to "it fell itself to you". In this structure, the object that fell is the subject and the person who dropped it is the indirect object.
Which one should you use?
dejaste caer is also an informal way to say "you dropped". In some Latin American countries like Mexico, you might hear lo tiraste to mean "you dropped it". For formal situations, you can use Usted dejó caer or Señor, (usted) ha soltado.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Lo tiraste is an informal expression used in some Latin American countries, such as Mexico, to mean "you dropped it".
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb must change to the plural form se te cayeron if the person dropped multiple objects.
How do you pronounce it?
/se te kaʝo/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using tú caíste, as this actually means "you fell down" rather than "you dropped something".
Did you know?
- By using se te cayó, a Spanish speaker removes the blame from the person who dropped the object. It frames the event as something that happened to the person rather than something the person did.
- The word se in this phrase actually evolved from the Latin word illī, which meant 'to him' or 'to that person'.
- The phrase se te cayó is part of a larger linguistic pattern in Spanish used to distance a person from an accident, such as saying 'the glass broke itself to me' instead of 'I broke the glass'.
Examples in context
- Se te cayó el lápiz.You dropped your pencil.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase with the word se te cayó.Tatoeba #1123135 by hayastan, translation #16283 by CK
- Se te cayó tu pañuelo.You dropped your handkerchief.Tatoeba #2047535 by marcelostockle, translation #69276 by CK
- Se te cayó el teléfono.You dropped your phone.Tatoeba #7949813 by Seael, translation #6040506 by mailohilohi
- Señor, usted dejó caer su bolígrafo.Sir, you dropped your pen.
- Señora, usted ha soltado sus llaves.Madam, you dropped your keys.
- ¡Dejaste caer tu teléfono!You dropped your phone!
- ¡Se te cayó el vaso!You dropped the glass!
- ¡Lo tiraste!You dropped it!
- ¡Has soltado el libro!You dropped the book!
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
In a coffee shop, a woman alerts a man to his fallen item.
- Lucía¡Mateo, cuidado! Se te cayó la cartera.Mateo, watch out! You dropped your wallet.
- MateoOh, gracias Lucía, no me di cuenta.Oh, thanks Lucía, I didn't notice.
- LucíaDe nada, ten más cuidado.You're welcome, be more careful.
- MateoLo siento, gracias de nuevo.I'm sorry, thanks again.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries se, te, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
