Introduction

Descer means “to go down”, and this page covers exactly one thing: descer in the present tense. The present is the tense Portuguese 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 descer, how the tense is formed for this verb, the situations where it is used, how it differs from the pretérito perfeito, worked examples, the mistakes learners make most often, an eight-question quiz with explained answers, and answers to the questions students ask about descer in the present. It means to go down, and it is regular apart from its spelling: the stem-final c becomes ç before a and o, so the eu form is desço. Its present is desço, desces, desce, and its pretérito perfeito is desci, desceste, desceu. It is the opposite of subir, which means to go up. For example: “Ele desce as escadas todos os dias.” — “He goes down the stairs.” Everything on this page uses the forms of descer exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Descer in the Present — full table

Person Form
eu desço
tu desces
ele/ela desce
nós descemos
vós desceis
eles/elas descem
Gerund: descendo · Past participle: descido
The gerund is descendo, which you use with estar to say what is happening at the same time as the main action: “Descendo as escadas, aprendo muito.” — “While going down the stairs, I learn a lot.” The past participle is descido, which you use with ter in the perfect tenses: tenho descido is the pretérito perfeito composto, used for a completed action. Keep both forms in mind as you read the examples below, because the present is only one part of how descer is used.
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for descer, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.

How the present of descer is formed

The present tense of descer has six forms: eu desço, tu desces, ele desce, nós descemos, vós desceis, eles descem. Say them in order — eu, tu, ele, nós, vós, eles — and notice which forms share a stem and which do not. descer is regular: every form follows the standard -er endings — -o, -as, -a, -amos, -ais, -am for -ar verbs; -o, -es, -e, -emos, -eis, -em for -er verbs; and -o, -es, -e, -imos, -is, -em for -ir verbs — 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. Because the stem-final c becomes ç before a and o, the eu form is desço and the subjunctive eu form is desça.

Two things about the present of descer are worth noticing. First, the nós and vós forms are the anchor of the verb: the imperfect is built from the same stem, and the present subjunctive takes its nós and vós forms from the same stem, so learning descemos and desceis pays off in three tenses at once. Second, the present is the tense Portuguese uses where English would often use the continuous form, so desço can mean both “I go down” and “I am going down” — context tells the listener which one you mean.

Because descer 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 descer

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use descer 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 descer is no exception. Use time expressions such as todos os dias, sempre or todas as semanas to make the routine explicit. Example: “Eu desço as escadas todos os dias.” — “I go down the stairs.”

2. General truths

Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. A fact about descer does not need a time expression, because it is true whenever you say it. Example: “Ele desce as escadas todos os dias.” — “He goes down the stairs.”

3. What is happening right now

The present also describes an action in progress at this very moment. Portuguese often prefers the simple present where English would use the continuous form, so a sentence with descer in the present can mean both “I do this” and “I am doing this now”. Context tells the listener which one you mean. Example: “Nós descemos as escadas todos os dias.” — “We go down the stairs.”

4. Scheduled future events

Portuguese 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 desces as escadas todos os dias.” — “You go down the stairs.”

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 descer in the present is the tense that carries it. Example: “Eles descem as escadas todos os dias.” — “They go down the stairs.”

Present Tense vs Pretérito Perfeito: how to choose

The closest tense to the present is the pretérito perfeito, and learners mix them up constantly. The rule is simple: the present describes habits, general truths and what is happening now, while the pretérito perfeito 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 todos os dias or sempre, while the pretérito perfeito sentences use ontem or na semana passada. Those time words are your best clue when you are choosing a tense.

  • Present Tense: “Ele desce as escadas todos os dias.” — “He goes down the stairs”
  • Pretérito Perfeito: “Ele desceu as escadas ontem.” — “He went down the stairs”
  • The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the pretérito perfeito sentence is one finished event. Todos os dias points to the present, ontem points to the pretérito perfeito.
  • Present Tense: “Eu desço as escadas todos os dias.” — “I go down the stairs”
  • Pretérito Perfeito: “Eu desci as escadas ontem.” — “I went down the stairs”
  • The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the pretérito perfeito sentence is one finished event. Todos os dias points to the present, ontem points to the pretérito perfeito.
  • Present Tense: “Tu desces as escadas todos os dias.” — “You go down the stairs”
  • Pretérito Perfeito: “Tu desceste as escadas ontem.” — “You went down the stairs”
  • The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the pretérito perfeito sentence is one finished event. Todos os dias points to the present, ontem points to the pretérito perfeito.

Example sentences: descer in the present

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. “Eu desço as escadas todos os dias.” — “I go down the stairs”
  2. “Tu desces as escadas todos os dias.” — “You go down the stairs”
  3. “Ele desce as escadas todos os dias.” — “He goes down the stairs”
  4. “Nós descemos as escadas todos os dias.” — “We go down the stairs”
  5. “Vós desceis as escadas todos os dias.” — “You go down the stairs”
  6. “Eles descem as escadas todos os dias.” — “They go down the stairs”
  7. “Eu desço as escadas todos os dias.” — “I go down the stairs”
  8. “Ele desce as escadas todos os dias.” — “He goes down the stairs”

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: “Eu desces as escadas.” Right: “Eu desço as escadas todos os dias.” Why: The eu form is desço, not desces. desces is the tu form. Mixing the two persons is the most common error with this verb.
  • Wrong: “Nós desço as escadas.” Right: “Nós descemos as escadas todos os dias.” Why: Nós needs the nós form descemos. desço belongs with eu only. Learn the six forms as two groups — singular and plural — and the pattern becomes automatic.
  • Wrong: “Eu desço as escadas todos os dias ontem.” Right: “Eu desci as escadas ontem.” Why: Ontem points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the pretérito perfeito desci for a finished action yesterday.
  • Wrong: “Eu descer as escadas.” Right: “Eu desço as escadas todos os dias.” Why: The infinitive descer never takes a subject. After eu you need the conjugated form desço.

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 eu form of descer in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) desces
    • B) desço
    • C) desce
    • D) descemos

  2. What is the tu form of descer in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) desço
    • B) desce
    • C) desces
    • D) descemos

  3. What is the ele/ela form of descer in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) desço
    • B) desces
    • C) descemos
    • D) desce

  4. What is the nós form of descer in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) descemos
    • B) desço
    • C) desces
    • D) desce

  5. What is the vós form of descer in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) desço
    • B) desceis
    • C) desces
    • D) desce

  6. What is the eles/elas form of descer in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) desço
    • B) desces
    • C) descem
    • D) desce

  7. What is the eu form of descer in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) desces
    • B) desce
    • C) descemos
    • D) desço

  8. What is the tu form of descer in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) desces
    • B) desço
    • C) desce
    • D) descemos

Answer key

  1. B) desço — the correct form is desço. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  2. C) desces — the correct form is desces. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  3. D) desce — the correct form is desce. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  4. A) descemos — the correct form is descemos. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  5. B) desceis — the correct form is desceis. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  6. C) descem — the correct form is descem. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  7. D) desço — the correct form is desço. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  8. A) desces — the correct form is desces. The other options are other forms of the same verb.

Frequently asked questions

What does descer mean in English?

descer means “to go down”. It is a regular -er verb.

How is the present tense of descer formed?

The six present forms are: eu desço, tu desces, ele desce, nós descemos, vós desceis, eles descem. descer is regular: every form follows the standard -er endings, so once you know the pattern you can build every tense from the stem.

When do I use the present instead of the pretérito perfeito?

Use the present for habits, general truths and what is happening now. Use the pretérito perfeito for one finished action in the past. The time words are your best clue: todos os dias points to the present, ontem points to the pretérito perfeito.

What are the gerund and past participle of descer?

The gerund is descendo and the past participle is descido.

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