Meaning
foul, fault
- foul (in sports)
- fault, error (literary)
In a sentence
Hai visto il fallo dell'attaccante ieri sera?
Did you see the striker's foul last night?
L'arbitro ha fischiato un fallo al limite dell'area.
The referee called a foul at the edge of the penalty box.
Il difensore è stato ammonito per un brutto fallo.
The defender was booked for a bad foul.
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| fallo | masculine · singular |
| falli | masculine · plural |
Usage notes
- For a mistake, fallo is less common than errore in neutral contexts; fallo often sounds more formal, legal, or moral.
- In sports, fallo is the standard word for a rules violation; don't use errore when you mean a referee-called foul.
- Common fixed pattern: fare fallo means 'to commit a foul.' Learners often overuse *commettere fallo outside formal or sports contexts.