Key facts

Descendre

To go down · to go down/to get off

B1Irregular
Model
vendre
Stem
descend
Past participle
descendu

Examples

Je descends vite.

I am going down quickly.

Il ne descend pas du train.

He doesn't get off the train.

Nous descendions au bar.

We were going down to the bar.

Nous sommes descendus là.

We got off there.

This verb is highly irregular. Prioritize repetition and active recall.

Présent

Indicative present — everyday actions, ongoing situations, and habits; the tense you rely on most in conversation.

Group 3
Jedescends
Igo down
Tudescends
Yougo down
Ildescend
Hegoes down
Nousdescendons
Wego down
Vousdescendez
Yougo down
Ilsdescendent
Theygo down

Futur proche

Near future with aller + infinitive — what you are about to do, very soon after the moment of speaking.

Jevais descendre
Iam going to go down
Tuvas descendre
Youare going to go down
Ilva descendre
Heis going to go down
Nousallons descendre
Weare going to go down
Vousallez descendre
Youare going to go down
Ilsvont descendre
Theyare going to go down

Passé récent

Recent past with venir de + infinitive — something that has just finished, still fresh in the speaker’s mind.

Jeviens de descendre
Ihave just gone down
Tuviens de descendre
Youhave just gone down
Ilvient de descendre
Hehas just gone down
Nousvenons de descendre
Wehave just gone down
Vousvenez de descendre
Youhave just gone down
Ilsviennent de descendre
Theyhave just gone down

Passé composé

Compound past with être or avoir + past participle — completed, one-off events and the backbone of spoken storytelling.

J'ai descendu
Ihave gone down
Tuas descendu
Youhave gone down
Ila descendu
Hehas gone down
Nousavons descendu
Wehave gone down
Vousavez descendu
Youhave gone down
Ilsont descendu
Theyhave gone down

Conditionnel présent

Conditional mood — polite requests, imagined outcomes, and what would happen under certain conditions.

Jedescendrais
Iwould go down
Tudescendrais
Youwould go down
Ildescendrait
Hewould go down
Nousdescendrions
Wewould go down
Vousdescendriez
Youwould go down
Ilsdescendraient
Theywould go down

Futur simple

Simple future — often more formal or literary than the near future; states intentions farther ahead in time.

Jedescendrai
Iwill go down
Tudescendras
Youwill go down
Ildescendra
Hewill go down
Nousdescendrons
Wewill go down
Vousdescendrez
Youwill go down
Ilsdescendront
Theywill go down

Imparfait

Imperfect — repeated habits in the past, background description, and actions still in progress when something else occurred.

Jedescendais
Iwas going down
Tudescendais
Youwere going down
Ildescendait
Hewas going down
Nousdescendions
Were going down
Vousdescendiez
Youwere going down
Ilsdescendaient
Theywere going down

Impératif présent

Present imperative — direct commands and friendly requests; only tu, nous, and vous person forms exist.

(Tu)descends
Yougo down
(Nous)descendons
Wego down
(Vous)descendez
Yougo down

Participe présent

Present participle — the -ant form in subordinate clauses, compound tenses, and many fixed expressions.

descendant
going down

Gérondif présent

Gerund with en + present participle — simultaneous action, manner, or cause while something else is going on.

en descendant
going down

Similar conjugation models (Irregular)

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