bajó
/bah-HOH/
went down
Bajó (went down): The child went down the hill.
bajó(Verb)
went down
?descended, moved physically downward
,got off
?exited a vehicle
stepped down
?from a platform or stage
📝 In Action
Ella bajó las escaleras rápidamente.
A1She went down the stairs quickly.
El presidente bajó del avión a las diez.
A2The president got off the plane at ten o'clock.
Mi perro bajó de la cama cuando lo llamé.
A1My dog got down from the bed when I called him.
💡 Grammar Points
Past Tense for Completed Actions
This form ('bajó') is the past tense (specifically, the preterite) used for actions that started and finished completely at a specific point in the past.
The Accent Mark
The accent mark on the 'o' (bajó) is crucial! It tells you that the action happened in the past, distinguishing it from 'baja' (he/she goes down, present tense).
⭐ Usage Tips
Use with Vehicles
In Spanish, you 'bajar' (go down) from a vehicle (car, bus, train), even if the movement isn't strictly downward. It means 'to exit' or 'to get off.'
Bajó (lowered): The worker lowered the box using a pulley.
bajó(Verb)
lowered
?reduced the height or position of something
,turned down
?reduced volume or temperature
decreased
?referring to abstract concepts like cost or temperature
📝 In Action
El gobierno bajó los impuestos el mes pasado.
B1The government lowered taxes last month.
Él bajó la voz para que nadie lo oyera.
A2He lowered his voice so nobody would hear him.
La tienda bajó el precio de las televisiones.
B1The store decreased the price of the televisions.
💡 Grammar Points
Transitive Use
In this sense, 'bajó' is transitive, meaning it needs an object. You are lowering something (the taxes, the voice, the volume).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Confusing 'Bajar' and 'Reducir'
Mistake: "Using 'Reducir' when talking about volume or turning things off/down (e.g., 'Redujo la luz')."
Correction: Use 'bajar' for volume, light, or intensity changes: 'Bajó la luz' (He/She turned down the light).
Bajó (downloaded): The user downloaded the file from the cloud.
bajó(Verb)
downloaded
?transferred data from the internet
copied (from the cloud)
?digital files
📝 In Action
Mi hermana bajó la película anoche.
B1My sister downloaded the movie last night.
Él bajó la aplicación en un minuto.
B1He downloaded the application in one minute.
Dijo que bajó todos los archivos a su disco duro.
B2He said he downloaded all the files to his hard drive.
💡 Grammar Points
Digital Meaning
When talking about computers, 'bajar' is used frequently as a synonym for 'descargar' (to download), emphasizing the movement of data from the cloud down to your device.
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
present
imperfect
indicative
preterite
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: bajó
Question 1 of 2
Which English translation is INCORRECT for the sentence: 'El hombre bajó la maleta del techo.'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'bajó' have an accent mark?
The accent mark on the 'o' (bajó) is essential because it tells you the word is in the past tense (preterite). Without it, 'bajo' means 'I go down' (present tense) or 'low' (adjective).
When should I use 'bajó' versus 'descendió'?
'Bajó' is the most common and versatile choice for everyday speaking, covering physical movement, lowering things, and downloading. 'Descendió' is more formal and usually reserved for literal physical descent, like mountaineering or formal writing.