Chance and timing both live in this verb.
Tomber sur means to run into, to come across by chance: « je suis tombé sur un vieil ami » — I bumped into an old friend. It works for people and for things you stumble upon while searching.
Tomber bien and tomber mal are about timing. « Ça tombe bien ! » — that’s good timing, that works out well — is one of the most useful short phrases in French, and « je tombe mal ? » means “is this a bad moment?”
💡 Focus at this level: tomber sur / tomber bien
1. « Tomber sur » = to bump into. By chance, never on purpose.
2. « Ça tombe bien ! » = perfect timing. Use it constantly.
3. « Je tombe mal ? » is the polite way to check you are not intruding.
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