Translation guide
How to express the idea of something falling off, detaching, or dropping from a surface or attachment point in Japanese.
Something that was attached, stuck, or hanging falls off or comes off.
A person or object falls off a higher surface like a cliff, roof, or bicycle.
A figurative use where numbers, quality, or performance drops off.
Can be used figuratively for a drop in level, quality, or performance.
落ちる is the most general for falling off. 取れる implies something was attached and came off (like a button). 外れる means something came out of its proper place or connection (like a lid or chain).
English 'fall off' often translates to 取れる or 外れる, not 落ちる, when the object was attached or fitted. Using 落ちる for a button falling off sounds unnatural.
The poster fell off the wall.
木から葉っぱが落ちている。
Leaves are falling off the tree.
Intransitive verb meaning to come off, detach, or be removed. Often used for buttons, stickers, or parts that were attached.
ボタンが取れた。
A button fell off.
シールが簡単に取れない。
The sticker won't come off easily.
Intransitive verb for something coming off or out of its proper place, like a lid, a part, or a connection.
ふたが外れた。
The lid came off.
チェーンが外れてしまった。
The chain came off.
Intransitive verb for something peeling off or coming unstuck, like a sticker, paint, or wallpaper.
壁紙が剥がれてきた。
The wallpaper is starting to peel off.
シールが自然に剥がれた。
The sticker peeled off by itself.
Also used for falling from a height. Intransitive.
屋根から落ちそうになった。
I almost fell off the roof.
自転車から落ちてけがをした。
I fell off my bicycle and got hurt.
More formal or dramatic term for falling off a height, often used in news or warnings.
崖から転落した。
He fell off the cliff.
最近、成績が落ちている。
My grades have been falling off lately.
売り上げが急に落ちた。
Sales suddenly fell off.
Formal term for a decline or drop in quality, ability, or numbers.
集中力が低下している。
My concentration is falling off.