落ちます（おちます、ochimasu）
- to fall

The Japanese word 落ちます (おちます) is a verb that primarily means "to fall," "to drop," or "to come down." It describes the action of something moving from a higher position to a lower one due to gravity, or the action of something being released or detached. It can also figuratively mean to fail or to decrease. The meaning is dependent on the context.

⚫︎ リンゴが木から落ちました。 Translation: The apple fell from the tree. ⚫︎ テストに落ちました。 Translation: I failed the test. ⚫︎ 涙が落ちました。 Translation: Tears fell.

⚫︎ 落ちます is used to describe the action of falling or dropping of physical objects, like objects falling from a height. For example, a book falling from a shelf. ⚫︎ It is also used in abstract or figurative senses, such as someone failing a test, or a price falling. ⚫︎ It's a versatile verb and can be used in various situations. It is the polite form of the verb 落ちる (おちる). You would use 落ちます in more formal situations.

⚫︎ The base form of the verb is 落ちる (おちる), written in hiragana as おちる or kanji as 落ちる. ⚫︎ The polite form, 落ちます, is written in hiragana as おちます or kanji as 落ちます. ⚫︎ The kanji 落 has several other meanings, including "to fall," "to drop," "to lose," or "to omit." The meaning depends on the context of the sentence. ⚫︎ Okurigana, the suffix hiragana, is typically ち.

⚫︎ 転ぶ (ころぶ) - to fall over, to tumble. ⚫︎ 下がる (さがる) - to go down, to descend, to drop (referring to prices or levels). ⚫︎ 落下する (らっかする) - to fall, to drop (more formal, often used in technical contexts). ⚫︎ 破れる (やぶれる) - to fail (e.g., in a competition, in an examination)

⚫︎ 上がる (あがる) - to rise, to go up, to go higher. ⚫︎ 昇る (のぼる) - to climb, to ascend. ⚫︎ 受かる (うかる) - to pass (an exam, a test) - the opposite of failing.

カバンが階段から落ちました。 ・Translation: The bag fell down the stairs. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 落ちました to describe the action of the bag falling from the stairs, emphasizing the physical act of dropping.

試験に落ちて、とてもがっかりしました。 ・Translation: I failed the exam, and I was very disappointed. ・Explanation: Here, 落ちて is used in its figurative sense, meaning to fail an examination.

The kanji 落 originally depicted something dropping or falling. Its etymology likely derives from pictographic representations of objects falling from a height. The word 落ちる and its polite form 落ちます have a very long history in the Japanese language, evolving with the language's development.