Baisser Conjugation in French
baisser means “to lower” in English, and it is one of the verbs French learners meet early — it sits at frequency rank 197 in VerbFlow’s French list. It is a non-reflexive, regular -er verb, and this page gives you its complete conjugation — every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle — with notes, examples, common mistakes and a quiz. Here is the verb in a natural sentence: “Je baisse la voix tous les jours.” — “I lower the voice every day.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: baisser
- English: to lower
- Verb type: Non-reflexive, Regular
- Irregular in: no tense — fully regular
- Gerund: en baissant
- Past participle: baissé
- Auxiliary: avoir (all perfect tenses are formed with avoir + the past participle)
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.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for baisser. Learn the present tense first, then the passé composé and the imperfect, and add the remaining tenses one at a time.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | baisse |
| tu | baisses |
| il/elle | baisse |
| nous | baissons |
| vous | baissez |
| ils/elles | baissent |
Passé simple
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | baissai |
| tu | baissas |
| il/elle | baissa |
| nous | baissâmes |
| vous | baissâtes |
| ils/elles | baissèrent |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | baissais |
| tu | baissais |
| il/elle | baissait |
| nous | baissions |
| vous | baissiez |
| ils/elles | baissaient |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | baisserai |
| tu | baisseras |
| il/elle | baissera |
| nous | baisserons |
| vous | baisserez |
| ils/elles | baisseront |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | baisserais |
| tu | baisserais |
| il/elle | baisserait |
| nous | baisserions |
| vous | baisseriez |
| ils/elles | baisseraient |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | ai baissé |
| tu | as baissé |
| il/elle | a baissé |
| nous | avons baissé |
| vous | avez baissé |
| ils/elles | ont baissé |
Pluperfect (past perfect)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | avais baissé |
| tu | avais baissé |
| il/elle | avait baissé |
| nous | avions baissé |
| vous | aviez baissé |
| ils/elles | avaient baissé |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | aurai baissé |
| tu | auras baissé |
| il/elle | aura baissé |
| nous | aurons baissé |
| vous | aurez baissé |
| ils/elles | auront baissé |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | aurais baissé |
| tu | aurais baissé |
| il/elle | aurait baissé |
| nous | aurions baissé |
| vous | auriez baissé |
| ils/elles | auraient baissé |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | baisse |
| tu | baisses |
| il/elle | baisse |
| nous | baissions |
| vous | baissiez |
| ils/elles | baissent |
Imperfect subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | baissasse |
| tu | baissasses |
| il/elle | baissât |
| nous | baissassions |
| vous | baissassiez |
| ils/elles | baissassent |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | baisse |
| nous | baissons |
| vous | baissez |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | baisse |
| nous | baissons |
| vous | baissez |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | French |
|---|---|
| Gerund | en baissant |
| Past participle | baissé |
When to use each tense
Present indicative
The present indicative is used for habits, facts and things happening now. With baisser this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Je baisse la voix tous les jours.” — “I lower the voice every day.”
Passé simple
The passé simple is used for completed actions in the past, mainly in written and literary French. With baisser this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Tu baissas la voix la semaine dernière.” — “You lowered the voice last week.”
Imperfect
The imperfect is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. With baisser this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Il baissait la voix ce matin.” — “He used to lower the voice this morning.”
Future
The future is used for what will happen, and for predictions. With baisser this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Nous baisserons la voix.” — “We will lower the voice.”
Conditional
The conditional is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. With baisser this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Vous baisseriez la voix.” — “You would lower the voice.”
Present perfect
The present perfect (passé composé) is used for completed actions in the past, especially in spoken French. With baisser this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Ils ont baissé la voix hier.” — “They have lowered the voice yesterday.”
Pluperfect (past perfect)
The pluperfect (past perfect) is used for an action completed before another past action. With baisser this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “J'avais baissé la voix hier.” — “I had lowered the voice yesterday.”
Future perfect
The future perfect is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. With baisser this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Tu auras baissé la voix la semaine prochaine.” — “You will have lowered the voice next week.”
Conditional perfect
The conditional perfect is used for what would have happened in a different past. With baisser this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Il aurait baissé la voix ce matin.” — “He would have lowered the voice this morning.”
Present subjunctive
The present subjunctive is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after que. With baisser this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Il est important que nous baissions la voix tous les jours.” — “It is important that We lower the voice every day.”
Imperfect subjunctive
The imperfect subjunctive is used for the past subjunctive: wishes and hypotheticals about the past, mostly in formal and literary French. With baisser this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Il fallait que vous baissassiez la voix hier.” — “It was necessary that You lower the voice yesterday.”
Imperative (affirmative)
The imperative (affirmative) is used for direct commands and instructions. With baisser this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Baissez la voix !” — “Lower the voice!”
Imperative (negative)
The imperative (negative) is used for prohibitions and negative commands. With baisser this tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard -er pattern. For example: “Ne baisse pas la voix !” — “Do not lower the voice!”
Gerund and past participle
The gerund en baissant is used after en for an action happening at the same time as the main verb. For example: “En baissant, je commence la journée.” — “While lowerring, I start the day.” The past participle baissé is used with avoir in the perfect tenses, as in j'ai baissé — “I have lowered the voice yesterday.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with baisser, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the French and try to produce it from the English.
- “Je baisse la voix à la maison.” — “I lower the voice at home.”
- “Tu baissas la voix ce matin.” — “You lowered the voice this morning.”
- “Il baissait la voix avec Paul.” — “He used to lower the voice with Paul.”
- “Je baisserai la voix demain.” — “I will lower the voice tomorrow.”
- “Tu baisserais la voix tous les jours.” — “You would lower the voice every day.”
- “Il a baissé la voix la semaine dernière.” — “He has lowered the voice last week.”
- “J'avais baissé la voix ce matin.” — “I had lowered the voice this morning.”
- “Tu auras baissé la voix demain.” — “You will have lowered the voice tomorrow.”
- “Il est important que il baisse la voix tous les jours.” — “It is important that He lower the voice every day.”
- “Baisse la voix !” — “Lower the voice!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Je baisser la voix.”
✓ Right: “Je baisse la voix tous les jours.”
The infinitive baisser never takes a subject. After je you need the conjugated present form baisse.
2. Using the wrong person
✗ Wrong: “Je baisses la voix.”
✓ Right: “Je baisse la voix tous les jours.”
baisses is the tu form, not the je form. The je form is baisse — check the person before you write the form.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Je baisse la voix hier.”
✓ Right: “J'ai baissé la voix hier.”
Hier points to the past, so use the present perfect ai baissé here, not the present baisse.
4. Mixing up the stem in the stressed forms
✗ Wrong: “Je baissons la voix.”
✓ Right: “Je baisse la voix tous les jours.”
baissons is the nous form. The je form is baisse — the two persons never share a form in the present of baisser.
5. Using the wrong auxiliary in the passé composé
✗ Wrong: “Je suis baissé la voix hier.”
✓ Right: “J'ai baissé la voix hier.”
baisser takes avoir in the compound tenses, not être: ai baissé, never the être form.
6. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger
✗ Wrong: “Il est important que nous baissons la voix.”
✓ Right: “Il est important que nous baissions la voix.”
After il est important que French needs the subjunctive, so use baissions here, not the indicative baissons.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on baisser. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the je form of baisser in the Present indicative?
- A) aurais baissé
- B) baissez
- C) baisse
- D) aurai baissé
What is the il/elle form of baisser in the Passé simple?
- A) baissa
- B) baissas
- C) baisserait
- D) baisse
What is the nous form of baisser in the Imperfect?
- A) aurons baissé
- B) baissâmes
- C) baissions
- D) baissassions
What is the tu form of baisser in the Future?
- A) baisseras
- B) baissera
- C) baisseront
- D) aurais baissé
What is the je form of baisser in the Conditional?
- A) baisserais
- B) baisserions
- C) baissasse
- D) baisserai
What is the il/elle form of baisser in the Present subjunctive?
- A) baisserait
- B) avait baissé
- C) baisse
- D) aurait baissé
What is the nous form of baisser in the Present perfect (passé composé)?
- A) avez baissé
- B) aurions baissé
- C) avons baissé
- D) baissons
What is the gerund of baisser?
- A) cessant
- B) en baissant
- C) adoptant
- D) détruisant
What is the past participle of baisser?
- A) amené
- B) baissé
- C) détruit
- D) admiré
What does baisser mean in English?
- A) confess
- B) lower
- C) convince
- D) create
Answer key
- 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.
- A) baissa — the il/elle form of baisser in the passé simple is baissa. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- C) baissions — the nous form of baisser in the imperfect is baissions. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- A) baisseras — the tu form of baisser in the future is baisseras. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- A) baisserais — the je form of baisser in the conditional is baisserais. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- C) baisse — the il/elle form of baisser in the present subjunctive is baisse. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- C) avons baissé — the nous form of baisser in the present perfect (passé composé) is avons baissé. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
- B) en baissant — the gerund of baisser is en baissant; it is used with en for actions happening at the same time as the main verb. The other options are the present participles of neighbouring verbs.
- B) baissé — the past participle of baisser is baissé; perfect tenses use avoir + baissé. The other options are the participles of neighbouring verbs.
- B) lower — baisser means “to lower” in English. The other options are the meanings of neighbouring verbs.
How to learn this verb
Learn baisser in three passes. First, say the present tense aloud in order — je baisse, tu baisses, il baisse, nous baissons, vous baissez, ils baissent — three times, then write three sentences with the verb. Second, learn the passé composé with its auxiliary: ai baissé shows the pattern, and the participle baissé is the same in every perfect tense. Third, add one new tense a day, always in a sentence, and test yourself the next day before you learn the next one. A verb you can use in a sentence is learnt; a verb you can only recite is not. Use the Verb Quiz and the Verb Conjugator to check what has stuck, and compare baisser with the other verbs in this batch on the French verbs hub.
Frequently asked questions
What does baisser mean in English?
baisser means “to lower”. It is a non-reflexive, regular verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is baisser regular or irregular?
baisser is regular, and it is irregular in these tenses: none. 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.
What are the gerund and past participle of baisser?
The gerund is en baissant — use it after en for an action happening at the same time as the main verb. The past participle is baissé — use it with avoir for the perfect tenses, as in j'ai baissé.
How do I say “I lower” in French?
Say “Je baisse la voix tous les jours.” — “I lower the voice every day.” The je form of the present is baisse, and it is the form you will use most often.
How do you pronounce baisser?
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.
Related pages
- baisser in the present tense
- baisser examples and quiz
- Battre conjugation — another French verb in this batch.
- Enlever conjugation — another French verb in this batch.
- French verbs — the full hub of French conjugation pages.
- French irregular verbs — every common irregular French verb, grouped by pattern.
- Spanish verbs — the full hub of Spanish conjugation pages.
- Present Tense Conjugator — practise baisser with the interactive tool.
- Passive Voice Builder — practise baisser with the interactive tool.
- Irregular Verb Finder — practise baisser with the interactive tool.