Descer Conjugation in Portuguese
descer means “to go down” in English, and it is one of the first verbs Portuguese learners meet — it sits at number 63 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for Portuguese verbs. 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. This page gives you the complete conjugation of descer — 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: “Eu desço as escadas todos os dias.” — “I go down the stairs.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: descer
- English: to go down
- Verb type: Regular -er verb
- Irregular in: none — regular in every tense
- Gerund: descendo
- Present participle: descente
- Past participle: descido
- Auxiliary: ter (all perfect tenses are formed with ter + the past participle)
- Ending: -er verbs; pattern er in the verified tables
Pronunciation
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. Learn the spelling of the forms first, and listen to a native speaker for the sounds rather than trusting an invented transcription. The forms below are the ones that matter: once you can read descer in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about descer
- It is regular: every form follows the ordinary -er pattern, so once you know the stem you can build the whole table. The only work is learning the endings, not memorising exceptions. The stem-final c becomes ç before a and o, so the eu form is desço and the subjunctive eu form is desça.
- The perfect tenses use ter: the pretérito perfeito composto is formed with ter in the present plus the past participle descido. The tables on this page give the participle in the masculine singular form, exactly as it appears in the verified dump; agreement with the subject is a separate step that depends on the sentence, not on the verb table.
- The gerund is descendo, the present participle is descente and the past participle is descido: keep all three in mind as you read the tables, because the gerund appears in progressive constructions, the present participle appears as an adjective, and the past participle appears in every perfect tense. If you know those three forms and the present tense, you already know the skeleton of the whole conjugation.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for descer. Learn the present tense first, then the pretérito perfeito and the pretérito imperfeito, and add the remaining tenses one at a time.
Present indicative (presente)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | desço |
| tu | desces |
| ele/ela | desce |
| nós | descemos |
| vós | desceis |
| eles/elas | descem |
The present indicative (presente) is used for habits, facts and things happening now. For example: “Eu desço as escadas todos os dias.” — “I go down the stairs”
Pretérito perfeito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | desci |
| tu | desceste |
| ele/ela | desceu |
| nós | descemos |
| vós | descestes |
| eles/elas | desceram |
The pretérito perfeito is used for completed actions in the past, especially one finished event. For example: “Eu desci as escadas ontem.” — “I went down the stairs”
Pretérito imperfeito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | descia |
| tu | descias |
| ele/ela | descia |
| nós | descíamos |
| vós | descíeis |
| eles/elas | desciam |
The pretérito imperfeito is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. For example: “Eu descia as escadas antigamente.” — “I used to go down the stairs”
Pretérito mais-que-perfeito simples
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | descera |
| tu | desceras |
| ele/ela | descera |
| nós | descéramos |
| vós | descéreis |
| eles/elas | desceram |
The pretérito mais-que-perfeito simples is used for an action completed before another past action; in everyday speech the compound form with tinha is more common. For example: “Eu descera as escadas antes do jantar.” — “I had gone down the stairs”
Futuro do presente
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | descerei |
| tu | descerás |
| ele/ela | descerá |
| nós | desceremos |
| vós | descereis |
| eles/elas | descerão |
The futuro do presente is used for what will happen, for predictions and for promises. For example: “Eu descerei as escadas amanhã.” — “I will go down the stairs”
Futuro do pretérito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | desceria |
| tu | descerias |
| ele/ela | desceria |
| nós | desceríamos |
| vós | desceríeis |
| eles/elas | desceriam |
The futuro do pretérito is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. For example: “Eu desceria as escadas um dia.” — “I would go down the stairs”
Pretérito perfeito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tenho descido |
| tu | tens descido |
| ele/ela | tem descido |
| nós | temos descido |
| vós | tendes descido |
| eles/elas | têm descido |
The pretérito perfeito composto is used for actions that started in the past and continue, or have been repeated, up to the present. For example: “Ele tem descido as escadas esta semana.” — “He has gone down the stairs”
Pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tinha descido |
| tu | tinhas descido |
| ele/ela | tinha descido |
| nós | tínhamos descido |
| vós | tínheis descido |
| eles/elas | tinham descido |
The pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Eu tinha descido as escadas antes do jantar.” — “I had gone down the stairs”
Futuro do presente composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | terei descido |
| tu | terás descido |
| ele/ela | terá descido |
| nós | teremos descido |
| vós | tereis descido |
| eles/elas | terão descido |
The futuro do presente composto is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Eu terei descido as escadas até amanhã.” — “I will have gone down the stairs”
Futuro do pretérito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | teria descido |
| tu | terias descido |
| ele/ela | teria descido |
| nós | teríamos descido |
| vós | teríeis descido |
| eles/elas | teriam descido |
The futuro do pretérito composto is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Eu teria descido as escadas ontem.” — “I would have gone down the stairs”
Presente do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | desça |
| tu | desças |
| ele/ela | desça |
| nós | desçamos |
| vós | desçais |
| eles/elas | desçam |
The presente do subjuntivo is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after que. For example: “É importante que eu desça as escadas.” — “It is important that I go down the stairs”
Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | descesse |
| tu | descesses |
| ele/ela | descesse |
| nós | descêssemos |
| vós | descêsseis |
| eles/elas | descessem |
The pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo is used in the past for wishes and hypotheticals after que, and in se-clauses. For example: “Era importante que eu descesse as escadas.” — “It was important that I go down the stairs”
Futuro do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | descer |
| tu | desceres |
| ele/ela | descer |
| nós | descermos |
| vós | descerdes |
| eles/elas | descerem |
The futuro do subjuntivo is used after se and quando for a future possibility, where English would use the present. For example: “Se eu descer as escadas, é bom.” — “If I go down the stairs, that is good”
Imperativo (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | desce |
| ele/ela | desça |
| nós | desçamos |
| vós | descei |
| eles/elas | desçam |
The affirmative imperative is used for direct commands and instructions. For example: “Desce as escadas!” — “Go down the stairs!”
Imperativo (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | não desças |
| ele/ela | não desça |
| nós | não desçamos |
| vós | não desçais |
| eles/elas | não desçam |
The negative imperative is used for prohibitions and negative commands. For example: “Não desças as escadas.” — “Do not go down the stairs.”
Presente do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tenha descido |
| tu | tenhas descido |
| ele/ela | tenha descido |
| nós | tenhamos descido |
| vós | tenhais descido |
| eles/elas | tenham descido |
The presente do subjuntivo composto is used for a completed action in a subordinate clause expressing doubt, wish or emotion. For example: “É importante que eu tenha descido as escadas.” — “It is important that I have gone down the stairs”
Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tivesse descido |
| tu | tivesses descido |
| ele/ela | tivesse descido |
| nós | tivéssemos descido |
| vós | tivésseis descido |
| eles/elas | tivessem descido |
The pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo composto is used for a completed action in a past subordinate clause. For example: “Era importante que eu tivesse descido as escadas.” — “It was important that I had gone down the stairs”
Futuro do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tiver descido |
| tu | tiveres descido |
| ele/ela | tiver descido |
| nós | tivermos descido |
| vós | tiverdes descido |
| eles/elas | tiverem descido |
The futuro do subjuntivo composto is used after se for a completed future possibility. For example: “Se eu tiver descido as escadas, é bom.” — “If I have gone down the stairs, that is good”
Gerund
| Form | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Gerund | descendo |
The gerund is used for an action happening at the same time as another action, often with estar for the progressive. For example: “Descendo as escadas, aprendo muito.” — “While going down the stairs, I learn a lot.”
Present participle
| Form | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Present participle | descente |
The present participle is used as an adjective, describing an ongoing action. For example, the participle descente is used to describe something that is happening at the same time as the main action, much like an English -ing adjective. You will meet descente more often as an adjective or a noun than as a verb form, so learn it as a word in its own right.
Past participle
| Form | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Past participle | descido |
The past participle is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Eu tenho descido as escadas esta semana.” — “I have gone down the stairs.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with descer, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the Portuguese and try to produce it from the English.
- “Eu desço as escadas todos os dias.” — “I go down the stairs”
- “Tu desceste as escadas ontem.” — “You went down the stairs”
- “Ele descia as escadas antigamente.” — “He used to go down the stairs”
- “Eu descerei as escadas amanhã.” — “I will go down the stairs”
- “Tu descerias as escadas um dia.” — “You would go down the stairs”
- “Ele tem descido as escadas esta semana.” — “He has gone down the stairs”
- “Eu tinha descido as escadas antes do jantar.” — “I had gone down the stairs”
- “Tu terás descido as escadas até amanhã.” — “You will have gone down the stairs”
- “É importante que eu desça as escadas.” — “It is important that I go down the stairs”
- “Desce as escadas!” — “Go down the stairs!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Eu descer as escadas.”
✓ Right: “Eu desço as escadas todos os dias.”
The infinitive descer never takes a subject. After eu you need the conjugated present form desço.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Eu desces as escadas.”
✓ Right: “Eu desço as escadas todos os dias.”
desces is the tu form, not the eu form. Match the verb to the subject every time: eu goes with desço.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Eu desço as escadas ontem.”
✓ Right: “Eu desci as escadas ontem.”
Ontem points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the pretérito perfeito desci for a finished action yesterday.
4. Using the wrong auxiliary in the pretérito perfeito composto
✗ Wrong: “Eu sou descido as escadas.”
✓ Right: “Eu tenho descido as escadas esta semana.”
The pretérito perfeito composto of descer is formed with ter plus the past participle descido: the eu form is tenho descido. Check the auxiliary in the table above before you build a perfect tense.
5. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger
✗ Wrong: “É importante que eu desço as escadas.”
✓ Right: “É importante que eu desça as escadas.”
After é importante que Portuguese needs the subjunctive, so use desça here, not the indicative desço.
6. Using the gerund instead of the past participle in a perfect tense
✗ Wrong: “Eu tenho descendo as escadas.”
✓ Right: “Eu tenho descido as escadas esta semana.”
The perfect tenses need the past participle descido, not the gerund descendo. The gerund belongs in progressive constructions, never after an auxiliary in a perfect tense.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on descer. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the eu form of descer in the Present indicative (presente)?
- A) desces
- B) desço
- C) desce
- D) descemos
What is the ele/ela form of descer in the Pretérito perfeito?
- A) desci
- B) desceste
- C) desceu
- D) descemos
What is the nós form of descer in the Pretérito imperfeito?
- A) descia
- B) descias
- C) descíeis
- D) descíamos
What is the tu form of descer in the Futuro do presente?
- A) descerás
- B) descerei
- C) descerá
- D) desceremos
What is the eu form of descer in the Futuro do pretérito?
- A) descerias
- B) desceria
- C) desceríamos
- D) desceríeis
What is the ele/ela form of descer in the Pretérito perfeito composto?
- A) tenho descido
- B) tens descido
- C) tem descido
- D) temos descido
What is the ele/ela form of descer in the Presente do subjuntivo?
- A) desças
- B) desçamos
- C) desçais
- D) desça
What is the eu form of descer in the Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo?
- A) descesse
- B) descesses
- C) descêssemos
- D) descêsseis
What is the gerund of descer?
- A) descido
- B) descendo
- C) descer
- D) desço
What does descer mean in English?
- A) to ask for
- B) to receive
- C) to go down
- D) to pay
Answer key
- B) desço — the correct form is desço. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) desceu — the correct form is desceu. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) descíamos — the correct form is descíamos. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) descerás — the correct form is descerás. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) desceria — the correct form is desceria. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) tem descido — the correct form is tem descido. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) desça — the correct form is desça. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) descesse — the correct form is descesse. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) descendo — the correct form is descendo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) to go down — the correct form is to go down. 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 core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is descer regular or irregular?
descer is regular: it follows the ordinary -er pattern in every tense. The gerund is descendo and the past participle is descido.
What are the gerund and past participle of descer?
The gerund is descendo — use it with estar for the progressive. The past participle is descido — use it with ter for the perfect tenses, as in tenho descido.
Which auxiliary does descer take in the pretérito perfeito composto?
descer takes ter in the pretérito perfeito composto: the eu form is tenho descido. All seven compound tenses on this page are built with ter plus the past participle descido.
How do I say “I go down” in Portuguese?
Say “Eu desço as escadas todos os dias.” — “I go down the stairs” The eu form of the present is desço, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of descer — every tense of descer in one place.
- Descer in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Descer examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice questions for this verb.
- Portuguese present tense guide — the full guide to the present tense in Portuguese.
- Receber conjugation — another everyday Portuguese verb.
- Vender conjugation — another everyday Portuguese verb.
- Portuguese verbs — the full hub of Portuguese conjugation pages.
- VerbFlow home — all languages, tools and verb lists.
- Verb Conjugator — practise descer with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise descer with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise descer with the interactive tool.