Faltar v fallar

Question

Can someone please help me out. They both seem to mean something is missing or lacking. I noticed faltar is used when someone isn't there?

Please help experts!

Answer 1

Faltar is indeed used when something is lacking, or missed, or absent. It´s use is probably closes to the English verb ´lack´ but is used more broadly, it seems to me. For instance, similarly, to be short of something. It´s then used, iirc, to tell how many days until something. Falta tres días hasta el fin de semana, o de vacciones. Not sure if I¨m remembering it right. I´ve also seen, I believe, ´de faltar´ being used in some construction meaning to fail.

Which brings us to the other verb, fallar. I´ve seen that pretty broadly used as English to Fail, and also for to Crash, as in the computer or software crashed.

Fallar is to me pretty straightforward, but faltar used in a lot of ways, so I´d suggest looking up some of those entries on dictionary entry here. Good examples.

hth roger

Neat, but fallar is also fairly flexible in use.. - annierats, Jan 2, 2013

Yes, I've probably just not been exposed to the variety there for whatever reason. I sometime contemplate how seemingly random it can be, what we learn or notice first. - rogspax, Jan 2, 2013

Answer 2

1. Faltar al respeto. Tutear a tus mayores es una falta de respeto
2. Faltar a su palabra. No cumpliste lo que prometiste faltando así a tu palabra

Answer 3

Fallar = to let somebody down, or for one's memory to fail. Also to pronunce sentence on somebody.

Como normal, mi hermano me falló. ( as usual, my brother let me down) .

Es muy triste pero la memoria de mi madre ya le está fallando. ( it's sad but my mother's memory is now failing her).

El fallo del juéz es inapeable ( there is no appeal against the judgement of the judge) .

Answer 4

Faltar -- to be missing, to lack, to disobey an order

Me faltan palabras para expresar mi felicidad

Fallar -- to fail / to miss on a target / to disappoint

Juan siempre falla cuando da el tiro al blanco