ENGLISH
REFERENCE

fall in love with sb

idiom.
A2 Elementary Oxford

idiom. To start having strong romantic feelings for someone.

idiom. An idiomatic verbal phrase describing the onset of romantic feelings for a person, followed by the preposition 'with' to introduce the object of affection.


SIMPLE

He might fall in love with her.

CONTEXTUAL

They met on holiday and quickly fell in love with each other.

COMPLEX

Despite their families' long-standing feud, the two protagonists inevitably fall in love with one another, setting the stage for the play's tragic conclusion.

Usage

The object of affection is introduced by the preposition 'with'.

Teaching tip

Contrast with 'have a crush on' (less serious, often one-sided) and 'be in love with' (describes the state, not the beginning of it).

Pitfall

He fell in love on her.He fell in love with her.The correct preposition to connect the feeling to the person is 'with'.

© 2026 English Reference