How to Say “Get Down” in Spanish

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agáchate
/aɡat͡ʃate/from spelling rules
The English phrase "get down" can be translated into Spanish as agáchate.
Agáchate is a command used to tell someone to lower their body to avoid being seen or hit. While agáchate focuses on bending or crouching, you might use other phrases depending on the specific action needed. For example, Tirarse al suelo (to throw yourself onto the ground) is used when someone needs to lie down quickly due to danger and ¡Baja! is a casual way to say "get down."

Which one should you use?

The form agáchate is the informal imperative used with friends, children or in high-stress situations where familiarity is assumed. In contrast, if you are using the more formal verb to mean "to go down" in a general sense, you might use descender, which is employed in more formal contexts.

Is it said differently in some regions?

In Spain, you might use ¡Baja de allí! to mean "get down from there!" or ¡Baja de eso! to mean "get down from that!" In Mexico, the informal phrase ¡Aviéntate al piso! is a common way to say "throw yourself onto the floor!" when someone needs to take cover quickly.

How does it change in a sentence?

When giving a command to someone you address with the formal usted, use the form agáchese instead of agáchate.

How do you pronounce it?

/aɡatʃate/

Did you know?

  • The word agachar is related to the concept of 'lowering' one's head, and in some contexts, it can be used metaphorically to describe someone being humbled or 'lowering' their pride.
  • The word baja comes from bajar, a versatile verb that can mean 'to descend', 'to lower', 'to get off' a bus, or even 'to turn down' the volume of a radio.
  • While agáchate focuses on the knees and waist, Spanish has separate specific verbs for other types of 'getting down', such as arrodillarse for kneeling or acuclillarse for squatting.

Examples in context

  • ¡Agáchate!
    Get down!
    Tatoeba #5102190 by cueyayotl, translation #268087 by CM
  • Por favor, baje las escaleras
    Please, go down the stairs
  • El ascensor desciende rápidamente
    The elevator is going down quickly
  • ¡Bájate del árbol!
    Get down from the tree!
  • ¡Baja de ahí!
    Get down from there!
  • ¡Tírate al suelo!
    Get down on the ground!
  • ¡Agáchate rápido, el techo es bajo!
    Get down quickly, the ceiling is low!

Example conversation

Alejandro and Sofía are playing a game of hide and seek in a garden.

  1. Alejandro

    ¡Agáchate, Sofía, que te van a encontrar!
    Get down, Sofía, or they will find you!
  2. Sofía

    Está bien, ya me agaché.
    Okay, I am down now.
  3. Alejandro

    No te muevas, quédate ahí.
    Don't move, stay there.
  4. Sofía

    No te preocupes, Alejandro.
    Don't worry, Alejandro.

Sources

  • IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
  • Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
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Katherine Alisha
Katherine AlishaHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
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