20 Phrasal Verbs with FALL | FALL 英文片語動詞完整指南

The verb fall combines with prepositions and adverbs to create over 20 different meanings in everyday English — and most of them have nothing to do with physically falling down. Taiwanese learners often know fall in love そして fall asleep, but miss the ones native speakers use constantly at work and in daily life: fall behind on a deadline, a deal falls through, fall out with a friend. Once you know these, a whole layer of English becomes readable that wasn’t before.

Why FALL Phrasal Verbs Are Worth Your Time [為什麼 FALL 片語動詞值得學？]

The Cambridge English Corpus shows that fall is one of the 25 most productive verbs in terms of phrasal verb combinations — meaning it pairs with more particles to create more distinct meanings than almost any other common verb. Many of those combinations appear constantly in news English, workplace conversations, and everyday speech. For Taiwan learners preparing for TOEIC, IELTS, or just smoother conversations with native speakers, FALL phrasal verbs are high-value vocabulary: high frequency, broad context, and often untranslatable word-for-word into Chinese.

The 20 verbs below are grouped by theme so the meanings stick. Work through each group, then check the quick reference table at the bottom before moving on to the practice section.

Phrasal Verbs with FALL — Failure and Collapse [失敗與崩潰]

These five phrasal verbs all describe something failing or breaking down. Knowing each one’s exact nuance will stop you from using them interchangeably — which native speakers notice immediately.

1. Fall Apart [崩潰 / 散架]

意味： To break into pieces, or to completely lose control emotionally or organizationally.

The old chair fell apart when I sat on it. — 那把舊椅子一坐就散架了。

After the manager quit, the whole project fell apart. — 經理離職後，整個計畫就崩潰了。

This one works for both physical objects and abstract things like plans, relationships, or teams.

2. Fall Down [倒下 / 失敗]

意味： To collapse physically, or to fail in some specific respect.

She fell down on the wet floor near the entrance. — 她在入口附近的濕地板上摔倒了。

The proposal falls down on one key point — the budget is unrealistic. — 這個提案在一個關鍵點上失敗了：預算不切實際。

The second usage — “falls down on X” — is especially common in formal writing and business discussions when identifying a specific weakness.

3. Fall Through [告吹 / 失敗]

意味： When a plan, deal, or arrangement fails to happen.

We were going to sign the contract, but the deal fell through at the last minute. — 我們本來要簽合約，但最後關頭交易告吹了。

My vacation plans fell through because of the typhoon. — 我的假期計畫因颱風泡湯了。

Fall through is stronger than simply “not working out” — it implies the plan was already in motion before collapsing.

4. Fall Flat [失敗 / 沒有效果]

意味： When a joke, speech, or campaign fails to have the expected effect or gets no response.

His opening joke fell flat — nobody laughed. — 他的開場笑話沒人買帳，沒人笑。

The new advertising campaign fell flat with younger audiences. — 新的廣告活動對年輕受眾完全沒效果。

Use this when something was expected to impress or entertain but didn’t land the way it was supposed to.

5. Fall Short [不足 / 未達到]

意味： To not meet a target, standard, or expectation.

Sales fell short of our target by 15% last quarter. — 上一季銷售額未達目標，差了15%。

The movie was good, but it fell short of the expectations set by the trailer. — 電影不錯，但沒達到預告片帶來的期望。

Fall short of is the most common form — always followed by “of” and then the standard or goal that wasn’t reached.

Getting Behind and Being Affected [落後與受影響]

6. Fall Behind [落後 / 拖欠]

意味： To not keep up with progress, payments, or a schedule.

I fell behind in my coursework after missing two weeks of class. — 缺課兩週後，我的課業落後了。

They fell behind on their rent and received a warning from the landlord. — 他們拖欠房租，收到了房東的警告。

You can “fall behind on” a task, payment, or schedule — or just “fall behind” with no object when the context is clear.

7. Fall Victim To [成為受害者 / 中招]

意味： To be harmed by or deceived by something, whether a scam, a disease, or a situation.

Many elderly people in Taiwan fall victim to phone scams every year. — 每年台灣有許多老年人成為電話詐騙的受害者。

The city fell victim to flooding every summer until the new drainage system was built. — 在新排水系統建成之前，這座城市每年夏天都遭受水災。

This phrase always uses “to” — fall victim to a scam, a disease, or an unfortunate situation.

FALL Phrasal Verbs — Love and Attraction [愛情與吸引]

Two of the most emotionally loaded phrasal verbs in English both use FALL. They look similar but carry different shades of meaning that matter.

8. Fall For [愛上 / 上當]

意味： Either to develop romantic feelings for someone, or to be tricked or deceived.

He fell for her the moment they met at the conference. — 他一在研討會上見到她就愛上了她。

I can’t believe you fell for that trick — it’s one of the oldest scams out there. — 我不敢相信你上了那個當，那是最古老的騙局之一。

Context makes the meaning clear: when the object is a person, it means attraction; when it’s a trick, lie, or scheme, it means deception.

9. Fall In Love With [愛上]

意味： To begin to love someone or something deeply — not just initial attraction, but a deeper emotional state.

She fell in love with Taipei after her first visit and never left. — 她第一次來台北就愛上了這座城市，再也沒有離開。

I fell in love with teaching the first time I stood in front of a classroom. — 第一次站在教室前，我就愛上了教學這件事。

You can fall in love with a person, a city, a job, or a food. The breadth of usage makes this one of the most versatile FALL expressions.

Relationships — FALL Out and FALL In [人際關係]

10. Fall Out (With) [吵架 / 鬧翻]

意味： To have an argument with someone that damages or ends the relationship.

She fell out with her business partner over money and they haven’t spoken since. — 她與商業夥伴為錢鬧翻，此後再也沒有說過話。

The two brothers fell out years ago and the family has never fully recovered. — 兩兄弟多年前鬧翻了，整個家庭始終未能完全恢復。

This implies more than a single argument — it suggests a lasting break or significant cooling in the relationship.

11. Fall In With [偶然結交 / 同意]

意味： To start spending time with a group of people (often with a bad influence implied), or to agree with a plan or idea.

He fell in with the wrong crowd after dropping out of school. — 他輟學後結交了不好的朋友。

The committee fell in with the CEO’s new strategy after seeing the data. — 委員會看過數據後，同意了執行長的新策略。

Watch for context to know if it means “joined a group” or “agreed with a proposal” — the grammar is the same but the tone is different.

Change and Position [變化與位置]

12. Fall Into [落入 / 偶然進入]

意味： To enter a situation or category, often without planning it — or to be classified within a type.

I didn’t plan to become a teacher — I just fell into it after university. — 我並沒有計劃成為老師，大學後只是自然而然地走上了這條路。

The business falls into two main categories: exports and domestic sales. — 這門生意主要分成兩大類：出口和國內銷售。

Fall into place is a related expression meaning things finally work out — 一切水到渠成。

13. Fall Back On [依靠 / 退而求其次]

意味： To use something as a backup or safety net when the primary option fails.

When the tech company closed, she fell back on her teaching certificate to find work. — 科技公司關閉後，她靠教師執照找到了工作。

It’s smart to have savings you can fall back on during a slow month. — 有一筆備用儲蓄在業績差的月份可以依靠，這很明智。

This always implies a second choice — something you resort to, not your first preference.

14. Fall Off [掉落 / 下降]

意味： To drop off physically, or to decrease in level, quality, or quantity.

The handle fell off the door — we need to call the landlord. — 門把掉下來了，我們得打電話給房東。

Website traffic fell off sharply after the algorithm update. — 演算法更新後，網站流量急劇下降。

The business and statistical sense — sales fall off, quality falls off, interest falls off — is extremely common in professional English writing.

15. Fall Away [消退 / 逐漸減少]

意味： To gradually decrease or disappear over time.

Support for the policy began to fall away as the costs became clear. — 隨著代價逐漸明朗，對這項政策的支持開始消退。

Her nervousness fell away once she started speaking in front of the group. — 一開口對著大家說話，她的緊張感就消散了。

Subtler than “fall off” — it suggests a gradual fading rather than a sharp measurable drop.

16. Fall Under [歸類於 / 受管轄]

意味： To be classified within a category, or to come under someone’s authority or control.

This case falls under the jurisdiction of the Taipei District Court. — 這個案件屬於台北地方法院的管轄範圍。

The new regulation falls under environmental law, not labor law. — 這項新規定屬於環境法，而不是勞動法的範疇。

Common in official, legal, and academic writing when categorizing topics, departments, or responsibilities.

Everyday FALL Expressions [日常生活中的 FALL 表達]

17. Fall Asleep [睡著]

意味： To go to sleep, especially unintentionally or suddenly.

I fell asleep during the meeting — the room was too warm. — 我在會議中睡著了，房間太暖了。

She always falls asleep within five minutes of getting on the MRT. — 她每次一上捷運五分鐘內就睡著了。

This is one of the most natural ways to say “go to sleep” in English — far more natural than “I slept during the meeting.”

18. Fall Sick / Fall Ill [生病]

意味： To become sick or ill, often suddenly and unexpectedly.

Half the class fell sick after eating at the school cafeteria. — 半個班的同學在學校餐廳吃完東西後生病了。

He fell ill the night before his final exam. — 他在期末考前一晚生病了。

“Fall ill” is slightly more formal than “fall sick,” but both are standard in British and American English.

19. Fall Due [到期]

意味： When a payment, loan, invoice, or obligation reaches its deadline.

The rent falls due on the first of every month without exception. — 房租每月一日到期，毫無例外。

Three invoices are falling due this week — make sure the accounts payable team is ready. — 本週有三張發票到期，請確保應付帳款部門已做好準備。

Standard financial and business English — important for anyone working in accounting, HR, or administration in Taiwan.

20. Fall Over [絆倒 / 過度表現]

意味： To trip and fall physically, or — in the fixed expression “fall over themselves” — to make excessive effort to please or impress.

The child tripped on the step and fell over. — 那個小孩在台階上絆倒了。

Everyone was falling over themselves to impress the new director on her first day. — 每個人都在拼命表現來給新主任第一天上班留下好印象。

“Fall over themselves” is a fixed expression — it always implies someone is trying too hard or being excessively eager to please.

Watch This to Hear Native Speakers Use FALL Phrasal Verbs [影片：聽母語者如何使用 FALL 片語動詞]

This engVid lesson covers several key FALL phrasal verbs with clear, real-world examples. The teacher explains not just the meaning but how native speakers actually use these in conversation — the kind of nuance that textbooks often skip.

Quick Reference: 20 FALL Phrasal Verbs [快速參考表]

How to Practice These [如何練習這些片語動詞]

Memorizing lists is the slowest way to learn phrasal verbs. The fastest method is writing sentences that connect to your own life. Pick five of these verbs and write one real sentence each — using a situation you’ve actually experienced. Did you ever fall behind at work? Fall out with a friend? Have a deal fall through? Those personal connections make vocabulary stay.

For audio examples, the Espresso English FALL phrasal verbs lesson includes spoken examples for each verb. The British Council phrasal verbs guide explains the grammar rules behind separable and inseparable combinations — which will clarify why you can say “fall it through” for some verbs but not others.

If you’re working through the full phrasal verb series on this site, the companion posts on Phrasal Verbs with PULL そして Phrasal Verbs with HOLD cover another 40 verbs in the same format. The grammar post on separable vs. inseparable phrasal verbs is the best next read after this one — it explains a rule that removes a lot of guesswork about word order.

情報源

1. Cambridge Dictionary — Phrasal Verbs — Grammar reference and usage notes for phrasal verb structure in British and American English.
2. British Council — Phrasal Verbs — B1/B2 level grammar guide on phrasal verb word order, separability, and common patterns.
3. Espresso English — Phrasal Verbs with FALL — Audio examples and usage notes for the most common FALL phrasal verbs in everyday conversation.