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Descendre or baisser? Four French “down” mistakes to fix

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Go downstairs, get off a train, turn down the radio or bend down. Learn descendre and baisser through four corrections, picture cards and a quiz.

In short

Descendre means going down or taking something down: descendre l’escalier, descendre une valise. Baisser lowers a position or level: baisser la tête, baisser le volume. Add se for bending down: se baisser.

Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn

  • descendre l’escalierto lower the stairsto go down the stairs

    Je descends l’escalier avec mon sac.I go down the stairs with my bag.

    The stairs are your route. Say descendre au rez-de-chaussée to name the floor you are going to.

  • descendre du trainto move the train downto get off the train

    Nous descendons du train à Lyon.We get off the train in Lyon.

    Keep de with the vehicle you leave: du train, du bus, du métro. Descendre le train loses that meaning.

  • baisser le volumeto move the radio downstairsto turn the volume down

    Tu peux baisser le volume de la radio ?Can you turn the radio down?

    The sound level changes. Descendre la radio means taking the radio down, for example from an upstairs room.

  • se baisserto lower an objectto bend down

    Elle se baisse pour ramasser son carnet.She bends down to pick up her notebook.

    The person bends down. Compare Elle baisse la tête (she lowers her head): the body part follows the verb directly.

Four things in the scene

Learn the object, then test yourself

Avant de sortir
  1. Léa

    Je descends les valises. Tu peux baisser le volume de la radio ?

    I’m taking the suitcases downstairs. Can you turn the radio down?

  2. Samir

    Oui. Attends, mon carnet est par terre.

    Yes. Hang on, my notebook is on the floor.

  3. Léa

    Je me baisse pour le ramasser.

    I’ll bend down to pick it up.

  4. Samir

    Merci ! On descend ensemble ?

    Thanks! Shall we go downstairs together?

What is the difference between descendre and baisser?

La température baisse. Elle descend à cinq degrés.

The temperature is falling. It’s dropping to five degrees.

Both verbs can describe a falling temperature. À cinq degrés gives the level reached.

Le prix baisse says that the price is going down. Le vendeur baisse le prix says that the seller lowers it. For a simple decrease, baisser is a useful everyday choice. For stairs and getting off transport, keep the movement phrases above.

Question 1No account needed
You walk down a fixed staircase. Choose the verb.Je ___ l’escalier.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

descends. Descendre l’escalier describes your route. You are going down the stairs.

Question 2No account needed
You want less sound from the radio. Choose the request.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Baisse le volume, s’il te plaît.. Baisser le volume changes the sound level. Taking the radio downstairs changes its location.

Question 3No account needed
You are leaving the train at Lyon. Complete the sentence.Je descends ___ train à Lyon.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

du. Getting off a vehicle takes de: de + le train becomes du train.

Question 4No account needed
Who or what changes position in Elle se baisse pour ramasser son carnet?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

She bends down towards her notebook.. The reflexive se refers to the woman: she bends down to pick up the notebook.

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