bajar
/baˈxaɾ/
To go downstairs in Spanish is bajar.
The verb bajar is used to express moving from a higher floor to a lower floor in a building. You can use bajar on its own, or you can use the phrase bajar las escaleras to specifically mean 'to go down the stairs', which is a common way to specify the method of descent.
Which one should you use?
The verb subir is the direct antonym of bajar, meaning 'to go upstairs' when referring to moving between floors.
How does it change in a sentence?
Depending on the tense and subject, the form of bajar changes: bajo is used for 'I go downstairs' or 'I am going downstairs' (first-person singular present indicative). bajó is used for 'he/she/it went downstairs' (third-person singular preterite). And bajaremos is used for 'we will go downstairs' (first-person plural future indicative).
How do you pronounce it?
/baˈxaɾ/
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the word for 'downloading' a file is bajar, because the internet is conceptualized as a high place from which data must descend.
- If you are getting off a bus or a taxi, you use bajar rather than a verb for 'leaving'. It implies you are 'descending' from the vehicle's interior to the ground.
- The word bajar is a descendant of the Latin word bassus, which means 'low'. This makes it a linguistic relative of the English musical term 'bass'.
Examples in context
- El señor González, por favor baje las escaleras.Mr. González, please go downstairs.
- Estimado cliente, le pedimos que descienda las escaleras con precaución.Dear customer, we kindly ask you to go downstairs carefully.
- ¡Oye tú! Baja las escaleras y ven a jugar.Hey you! Go downstairs and come play.
- Tengo que bajar al comedor.I have to go downstairs to the dining room.
- Voy a bajar a buscar mi abrigo.I am going to go downstairs to look for my coat.
Example conversation
María and Javier are in a bedroom upstairs.
- MaríaJavier, ¿quieres bajar a la cocina?Javier, do you want to go downstairs to the kitchen?
- JavierSí, voy a bajar ahora mismo.Yes, I am going to go downstairs right now.
- MaríaPerfecto, yo también bajo contigo.Perfect, I am going downstairs with you too.
- Javier¡Vamos!Let's go!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry bajar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bajar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
