bajar
/ba-HAR/
to go down
Use 'bajar' when someone needs to go down somewhere.
bajar(verb)
to go down
?physical movement, destination
,to descend
?formal movement
to come down
?often used when the speaker is at the lower location
📝 In Action
Ella baja las escaleras lentamente.
A1She goes down the stairs slowly.
¿Puedes bajar del tren ahora?
A1Can you get off the train now?
💡 Grammar Points
Movement from a Place
When talking about getting off something (like a bus or a hill), Spanish uses the preposition 'de' (of/from): 'bajar del autobús' (to get off the bus).
When you take down an object from a high spot, you use 'bajar'.
bajar(verb)
to take down
?removing something from a high place
,to lower
?moving something to a lower level
📝 In Action
Por favor, baja la caja de la estantería.
A1Please, take down the box from the shelf.
Necesitamos bajar las cortinas para limpiarlas.
A2We need to lower the curtains to clean them.
⭐ Usage Tips
Direct Object Needed
In this meaning, 'bajar' is transitive, meaning you must specify what you are lowering or taking down (the direct object).
'Bajar' means to lower or reduce the level or intensity of something.
bajar(verb)
to lower
?to reduce the intensity or level of something
,to reduce
?prices or numbers
to decrease
?formal or numerical reduction
📝 In Action
Por favor, baja el volumen de la música, está muy alto.
A2Please, lower the volume of the music, it's too high.
Dicen que van a bajar los impuestos este año.
B1They say they are going to lower taxes this year.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Confusing 'bajar' and 'reducir'
Mistake: "Using 'reducir' for volume/light: 'Voy a reducir la luz.'"
Correction: Use 'bajar' for levels and intensities, as in 'Voy a bajar la luz/el volumen.' 'Reducir' is better for size or complexity.
Use 'bajar' when you want to download a digital file.
📝 In Action
Voy a bajar un PDF con la información.
B1I'm going to download a PDF with the information.
Tardamos diez minutos en bajar el archivo completo.
B1It took us ten minutes to download the whole file.
💡 Grammar Points
Digital Lingo
While 'descargar' is also used for 'to download' and is technically more precise, in casual conversation, especially in Latin America, 'bajar' is often the preferred and shortest way to express this action.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: bajar
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'bajar' to mean 'to decrease the volume'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'bajar' reflexive? Can I say 'bajarse'?
Yes! 'Bajarse' (the reflexive form) is very common and usually means 'to get off' or 'to step down' from a vehicle, horse, or elevated area. For example: 'Me bajé del coche' (I got out of the car).
What is the difference between 'bajar' and 'descargar'?
Both mean 'to download' in the digital sense. 'Descargar' is often considered the standard, formal term. 'Bajar' is very common and often preferred in casual speech, especially in Latin America, because it is shorter and derived directly from the movement meaning (bringing something 'down' to your computer).