tomber at B1 — tomber sur & tomber bien
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Chance and timing both live in this verb.
Running into things
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
👨🏫 How to use « tomber » at this level
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.
Je suis tombé sur un vieil ami.I bumped into an old friend.
Ça tombe bien !That’s good timing!
Je tombe mal ?Is this a bad time?
Mon anniversaire tombe un dimanche.My birthday falls on a Sunday.
🎮 Practise « tomber »
Play the free French games → · Back to the full « tomber » chart →
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