How to Say "to descend" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to descend” is “bajar” — use 'bajar' for the general act of moving downwards, like going down stairs, a hill, or lowering an object.
bajar
ba-HARbaˈxaɾ
Examples
Ella baja las escaleras lentamente.
She goes down the stairs slowly.
¿Puedes bajar del tren ahora?
Can you get off the train now?
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).
descender
deh-sen-DAIRdesθenˈdeɾ
Examples
El avión empezó a descender lentamente.
The plane began to descend slowly.
Tuvimos que descender la montaña antes del anochecer.
We had to go down the mountain before nightfall.
Por favor, desciendan del autobús por la puerta trasera.
Please, get off the bus through the back door.
The e-to-ie Vowel Swap
For this verb, the letter 'e' changes to 'ie' in most present-tense forms, except for 'we' (nosotros) and 'you all' (vosotros in Spain).
Descender vs. Bajar
'Descender' is slightly more formal than 'bajar'. You'll hear 'bajar' more in casual conversation, but 'descender' is common in news or travel announcements.
Keeping the 'e' when it should swap
Mistake: “Yo descendo.”
Correction: Yo desciendo. Remember that the middle 'e' splits into 'ie' when you stress it!
Bajar vs. Descender: Everyday vs. Formal
Related Translations
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