Descendre Conjugation in French: Complete Tables, Tenses & Guide

Descendre Conjugation in French: Complete Tables, Tenses & Guide

The French verb descendre is an essential vocabulary item meaning to descend, to go down, to get off, or to bring down. Belonging to the third conjugation group, descendre follows standard regular -dre conjugation patterns (such as vendre or attendre).

However, it poses a famous challenge for French learners: in compound tenses such as the passé composé, it can take either être or avoir depending on its grammatical role. Below is a comprehensive guide by my-french.com covering all tenses, rules, and common expressions.

1. Present Tense (Présent de l'indicatif)

In the present tense, drop the -re from the infinitive and attach standard -dre endings. Notice that there is no -t added to the third-person singular because the stem already ends in -d.

Example: « Tu descends les escaliers à pied ? » (Are you going down the stairs on foot?)

2. The Passé Composé Rule: Être vs. Avoir

This is the most critical grammatical rule to remember when studying descendre:

Rule 1: Intransitive Use (Motion) -> Auxiliary ÊTRE

• Elle est descendue du train. (She got off the train. -> feminine singular -e)
• Ils sont descendus à la cave. (They went down to the cellar. -> masculine plural -s)

When the verb describes movement without a direct object (answering where or from where), use être. The past participle must agree in gender and number with the subject.

Rule 2: Transitive Use (Action on an object) -> Auxiliary AVOIR

• J'ai descendu les valises. (I brought down the suitcases. Direct Object: les valises)
• Nous avons descendu la rivière en kayak. (We went down the river by kayak. Direct Object: la rivière)

When descendre takes a direct object (answering what or whom), it means to bring down, to take down, or to physically descend something. In this case, use avoir.

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3. Other Essential Indicative Tenses

Imperfect (Imparfait)

• Je descendais
• Tu descendais
• Il / Elle descendait
• Nous descendions
• Vous descendiez
• Ils / Elles descendaient

Used for ongoing or repeated actions in the past. Stem: descend-.

Simple Future (Futur simple)

• Je descendrai
• Tu descendras
• Il / Elle descendra
• Nous descendrons
• Vous descendrez
• Ils / Elles descendront

Drop the final -e from descendre and add future endings (-ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont).

Pluperfect (Plus-que-parfait)

• With être: J'étais descendu(e), nous étions descendu(e)s
• With avoir: J'avais descendu, nous avions descendu

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4. Conditional and Subjunctive Moods

Conditional Present (Conditionnel présent)

• Je descendrais
• Tu descendrais
• Il / Elle descendrait
• Nous descendrions
• Vous descendriez
• Ils / Elles descendraient

Reflects hypothetical actions, desires, or polite requests.

Subjunctive Present (Subjonctif présent)

• Que je descende
• Que tu descendes
• Qu'il / elle descende
• Que nous descendions
• Que vous descendiez
• Qu'ils / elles descendent

Used after expressions of obligation, necessity, or emotion.

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5. Imperative & Participles

• Imperative: Descends ! (Get down! / Come down!), Descendons ! (Let's go down!), Descendez ! (Go down!)
• Present Participle: descendant (descending / going down)
• Past Participle: descendu (agrees as descendue, descendus, descendues when used with être)

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6. Useful Idiomatic Expressions

• Descendre du train / du bus : To get off the train or bus.
• Descendre à l'hôtel : To stay at a hotel during a trip.
• Descendre dans la rue : To take to the streets (to protest).
• Descendre en flammes : To shoot down in flames; metaphorically, to harshly criticize an idea or project.

Mastering descendre ensures accuracy in both conversational and formal French. Keep an eye on the direct object to choose your auxiliary correctly, and you will speak with confidence!