bajar
“bajar” means “to go down” in Spanish. It has 4 different meanings depending on context:
to go down, to descend
Also: to come down
📝 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?
to take down, to lower
📝 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.
to lower, to reduce
Also: to decrease
📝 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.
to download
📝 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.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
🔀 Commonly Confused With
Translate to Spanish
Words that translate to "bajar" in Spanish:
get off→lower→reduce→step down→to decrease→to descend→to download→to lower→✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: bajar
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'bajar' to mean 'to decrease the volume'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
The word comes from a late Latin root, *bassiare*, which was related to the idea of 'lowering' or 'making something low.' It’s conceptually connected to the modern Spanish adjective 'bajo' (low) and the English word 'base.'
First recorded: Around the 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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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).