What draws attention?
A strong color can catch your eye. So can a duplicate line or a large difference in price as you read.
Use sofort if you want to say how quickly you noticed. The adverb adds that detail to the fixed expression.
Beim Überfliegen ist mir die doppelte Überschrift ins Auge gefallen.
While skimming, I noticed the heading appeared twice.
A mistake in a text can catch your attention too.
Who notices what?
The thing noticed is the subject: Der Preis fällt mir ins Auge. The person noticing it takes the dative, such as mir, dir or der Kundin.
Use sein and gefallen in the perfect: Die Überschrift ist mir ins Auge gefallen. With plural subjects, use sind: Die Überschriften sind mir ins Auge gefallen.
Der Kundin fiel das blaue Fahrrad im Schaufenster sofort ins Auge.
The blue bicycle in the window immediately caught the customer’s eye.
Der Kundin takes the dative.
Ins Auge fallen or ins Auge fassen?
Mir ist eine freie Stelle ins Auge gefallen means you noticed a vacancy. It leaves open whether you intend to apply.
Ich fasse eine Bewerbung ins Auge means you are considering applying. Here the person doing the considering is the subject, and the action under consideration is the accusative object.
In der Rechnung fallen uns zwei unerwartete Gebühren ins Auge.
Two unexpected charges on the invoice stand out to us.
The plural subject zwei Gebühren takes fallen.
Everyday conversations
Dialogue while comparing designs
Mila and Ari look at two poster designs.
- Mila
Welcher Entwurf fällt dir zuerst ins Auge?
Which design catches your eye first?
- Ari
Der mit dem grünen Rand. Aber das Datum ist schwer zu lesen.
The one with the green border. But the date is hard to read.
- Mila
Mir ist die große Überschrift gleich ins Auge gefallen.
The large heading immediately caught my eye.
- Ari
Dann behalten wir die Überschrift und machen das Datum größer.
Then let’s keep the heading and make the date bigger.
Usage note
Ins Auge fallen tells you something was noticed. Context tells you whether the person liked it.
Three practice tasks
Try each task before opening the explanation.
Which statement means you noticed a mistake?
Answer and explanation
Der Fehler ist mir ins Auge gefallen.
Ins Auge fallen means the mistake drew your attention.
Complete Der Preis fällt ___ ins Auge with the German pronoun for the person noticing, ‘me’.
Answer and explanation
mir
The person takes the dative, so use mir.
You are considering applying. Which statement expresses that?
Answer and explanation
Ich fasse eine Bewerbung ins Auge.
Ins Auge fassen describes an action under consideration.
What to remember
Das fällt mir ins Auge means I notice it. Ich fasse das ins Auge means I am considering it as an option.