Introduction

Baisser means “to lower”, and this page covers exactly one thing: baisser in the present tense. The present is the tense French speakers reach for when they talk about what happens regularly, what is true in general, and what is happening right now. On this page you will find the full present table for baisser, how the tense is formed for this verb, the situations where it is used, how it differs from the passé composé, worked examples, the mistakes learners make most often, an eight-question quiz with explained answers, and answers to the questions students ask about baisser in the present. It is used every day in conversation, at work and at home. For example: “Il baisse la voix tous les jours.” — “He lowers the voice every day.” Everything on this page uses the forms of baisser exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Baisser in the Present Tense — full table

Person Form
je baisse
tu baisses
il/elle baisse
nous baissons
vous baissez
ils/elles baissent
Gerund: en baissant · Past participle: baissé
The gerund is en baissant, which you use after en to say what is happening at the same time as the main action: “En baissant, je commence la journée.” — “While lowerring, I start the day.” The past participle is baissé, which you use with avoir in the perfect tenses: ai baissé is the present perfect, used for a completed action. Keep both forms in mind as you read the examples below, because the present tense is only one part of how baisser is used.
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for baisser, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.

How the present tense of baisser is formed

The present tense of baisser has six forms: je baisse, tu baisses, il baisse, nous baissons, vous baissez, ils baissent. Say them in order — je, tu, il, nous, vous, ils — and notice which forms share a stem and which do not. baisser is regular: every form follows the standard -er endings, so once you know the pattern you can build every tense from the stem. There are no surprises in any tense — the tables below are exactly what the endings predict. The present is the tense you will use most, so learn these six forms before you learn any other tense of this verb. Two things about the present of baisser are worth noticing. First, the nous and vous forms are the anchor of the verb: the imperfect is built from the nous form, and the present subjunctive takes its nous and vous forms from the same stem, so learning baissons and baissez pays off in three tenses at once. Second, the present is the tense French uses where English would often use the continuous form, so baisse can mean both “I lower” and “I am lowerring” — context tells the listener which one you mean. Because baisser is regular in the present, the six forms follow the standard -er endings exactly. Once you know the pattern for one regular -er verb, you know it for all of them — only the stem changes. That is why the present of a regular verb is the cheapest tense to learn in the whole language.

When to use the present of baisser

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use baisser in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.

1. Habits and routines

The present tense is the tense of routine. When something happens every day, every week or every morning, the present is the natural choice, and baisser is no exception. Use time expressions such as tous les jours, toujours or chaque semaine to make the routine explicit. Example: “Je baisse la voix à la maison.” — “I lower the voice at home.”

2. General truths

Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. A fact about baisser does not need a time expression, because it is true whenever you say it. Example: “Il baisse la voix ce matin.” — “He lowers the voice this morning.”

3. What is happening right now

The present also describes an action in progress at this very moment. French often prefers the simple present where English would use the continuous form, so a sentence with baisser in the present can mean both “I do this” and “I am doing this now”. Context tells the listener which one you mean. Example: “Nous baissons la voix avec Paul.” — “We lower the voice with Paul.”

4. Scheduled future events

French uses the present for something already fixed in the near future, especially with a time expression. It sounds more certain than the future tense, because the plan is already made. Example: “Tu baisses la voix.” — “You lower the voice.”

5. Narration and commentary

In stories, instructions and live commentary, the present brings the action into the room. A recipe, a game or a story told in the present feels immediate, and baisser in the present is the tense that carries it. Example: “Ils baissent la voix tous les jours.” — “They lower the voice every day.”

Present Tense vs Passé Composé: how to choose

The closest tense to the present is the passé composé, and learners mix them up constantly. The rule is simple: the present describes habits, general truths and what is happening now, while the passé composé describes one finished action in the past. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is the time frame — and with it, the tense. Notice how the present sentences use words such as tous les jours or toujours, while the passé composé sentences use hier or la semaine dernière. Those time words are your best clue when you are choosing a tense.

  • Present Tense: “Il baisse la voix à la maison.” — “He lowers the voice at home.”
  • Passé Composé: “Il a baissé la voix la semaine dernière.” — “He has lowered the voice last week.”
  • The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the passé composé sentence is one finished event. Tous les jours points to the present, hier points to the passé composé.
  • Present Tense: “Je baisse la voix ce matin.” — “I lower the voice this morning.”
  • Passé Composé: “J'ai baissé la voix ce matin.” — “I have lowered the voice this morning.”
  • The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the passé composé sentence is one finished event. Tous les jours points to the present, hier points to the passé composé.
  • Present Tense: “Tu baisses la voix avec Paul.” — “You lower the voice with Paul.”
  • Passé Composé: “Tu as baissé la voix avant la fête.” — “You have lowered the voice before the party.”
  • The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the passé composé sentence is one finished event. Tous les jours points to the present, hier points to the passé composé.

Example sentences: baisser in the present tense

Read these eight sentences out loud. They cover all six persons, so by the end you will have seen every form in the table used in a real sentence. Pay attention to the words around the verb — the time expressions and the objects — because those are what make each sentence sound natural.

  1. “Je baisse la voix à la maison.” — “I lower the voice at home.”
  2. “Tu baisses la voix ce matin.” — “You lower the voice this morning.”
  3. “Il baisse la voix avec Paul.” — “He lowers the voice with Paul.”
  4. “Nous baissons la voix.” — “We lower the voice.”
  5. “Vous baissez la voix tous les jours.” — “You lower the voice every day.”
  6. “Ils baissent la voix à la maison.” — “They lower the voice at home.”
  7. “Je baisse la voix tous les jours.” — “I lower the voice every day.”
  8. “Il baisse la voix avec Paul.” — “He lowers the voice with Paul.”

Common mistakes

These are the errors learners actually make with this verb in this tense. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.

  • Wrong: “Je baisses la voix.” Right: “Je baisse la voix tous les jours.” Why: The je form is baisse, not baisses. baisses is the tu form. Mixing the two persons is the most common error with this verb.
  • Wrong: “Nous baisse la voix.” Right: “Nous baissons la voix tous les jours.” Why: Nous needs the nous form baissons. baisse belongs with je only. Learn the six forms as two groups — singular and plural — and the pattern becomes automatic.
  • Wrong: “Je baisse la voix hier.” Right: “J'ai baissé la voix hier.” Why: Hier points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the passé composé ai baissé for a finished action yesterday.
  • Wrong: “Je baisser la voix.” Right: “Je baisse la voix tous les jours.” Why: The infinitive baisser never takes a subject. After je you need the conjugated form baisse.

Quiz: test yourself

Choose the correct answer for each question, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained, so a wrong answer still teaches you something.

  1. What is the je form of baisser in the Present indicative?

    • A) baissai
    • B) baisses
    • C) avais baissé
    • D) baisse

  2. What is the tu form of baisser in the Present indicative?

    • A) baisserais
    • B) baissasses
    • C) baisses
    • D) baissons

  3. What is the il/elle form of baisser in the Present indicative?

    • A) baisserait
    • B) a baissé
    • C) baissât
    • D) baisse

  4. What is the nous form of baisser in the Present indicative?

    • A) avions baissé
    • B) baisses
    • C) baissez
    • D) baissons

  5. What is the vous form of baisser in the Present indicative?

    • A) baissez
    • B) avez baissé
    • C) baissâtes
    • D) baisse

  6. What is the ils/elles form of baisser in the Present indicative?

    • A) baisseront
    • B) baissent
    • C) baisse
    • D) avaient baissé

  7. What is the je form of baisser in the Present indicative?

    • A) baissez
    • B) baisserais
    • C) baisse
    • D) baisserai

  8. What is the tu form of baisser in the Present indicative?

    • A) baissas
    • B) baisse
    • C) avais baissé
    • D) baisses

Answer key

  1. D) baisse — the je form of baisser in the present indicative is baisse. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  2. C) baisses — the tu form of baisser in the present indicative is baisses. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  3. D) baisse — the il/elle form of baisser in the present indicative is baisse. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  4. D) baissons — the nous form of baisser in the present indicative is baissons. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  5. A) baissez — the vous form of baisser in the present indicative is baissez. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  6. B) baissent — the ils/elles form of baisser in the present indicative is baissent. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  7. C) baisse — the je form of baisser in the present indicative is baisse. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  8. D) baisses — the tu form of baisser in the present indicative is baisses. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.

Frequently asked questions

What does baisser mean in English?

baisser means “to lower”. It is a non-reflexive, regular verb.

How is the present tense of baisser formed?

The six present forms are: je baisse, tu baisses, il baisse, nous baissons, vous baissez, ils baissent. baisser is regular: every form follows the standard -er endings, so once you know the pattern you can build every tense from the stem. There are no surprises in any tense — the tables below are exactly what the endings predict.

When do I use the present instead of the passé composé?

Use the present for habits, general truths and what is happening now. Use the passé composé for one finished action in the past. The time words are your best clue: tous les jours points to the present, hier points to the passé composé.

What are the gerund and past participle of baisser?

The gerund is en baissant and the past participle is baissé.

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