Scendere Conjugation in Italian
scendere means “to go down” in English, and it is one of the first verbs Italian learners meet — it sits at number 61 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for Italian verbs. It is the verb for going down, getting off a train or coming downstairs, and its present is regular while its passato remoto and past participle are irregular: the participle is sceso and the remoto is scesi. It takes essere in the passato prossimo, and its opposite is salire. This page gives you the complete conjugation of scendere — 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: “Io scendo ogni giorno.” — “I go down.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: scendere
- English: to go down
- Verb type: Irregular -ere verb
- Irregular in: passato-remoto, past-participle, present-perfect, pluperfect
- Gerund: scendendo
- Present participle: scendente
- Past participle: sceso
- Auxiliary: essere (all perfect tenses are formed with essere + the past participle)
- Ending: -ere verbs; pattern ere in the verified tables
Pronunciation
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for scendere, 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 scendere in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about scendere
- It is irregular in 4 tense(s): passato-remoto, past-participle, present-perfect, pluperfect. Learn those forms as a set instead of guessing them from the infinitive, because the stem changes in ways no rule predicts. Its passato remoto and past participle are irregular: the participle is sceso and the remoto io form is scesi.
- The perfect tenses use essere: the passato prossimo is formed with essere in the present plus the past participle sceso. 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 participles are scendente and sceso: keep both in mind as you read the tables, because the present participle appears as an adjective and the past participle appears in every perfect tense. If you know those two forms and the present tense, you already know the skeleton of the whole conjugation.
A note on scendere
A note on the pattern: scendere is regular in the present but irregular in the passato remoto — io scesi — and in the past participle, which is sceso. It takes essere in the passato prossimo — io sono sceso — and its opposite is salire, to go up.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for scendere. Learn the present tense first, then the passato prossimo and the imperfect, and add the remaining tenses one at a time.
Present indicative (presente)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | scendo |
| tu | scendi |
| lui/lei | scende |
| noi | scendiamo |
| voi | scendete |
| loro | scendono |
The present indicative is used for habits, facts and things happening now. For example: “Io scendo ogni giorno.” — “I go down”
Passato remoto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | scesi |
| tu | scendesti |
| lui/lei | scese |
| noi | scendemmo |
| voi | scendeste |
| loro | scesero |
The passato remoto is used for completed actions in the distant past, mostly in written and literary Italian and in the south of Italy. For example: “Io scesi ieri.” — “I went down”
Imperfect (imperfetto)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | scendevo |
| tu | scendevi |
| lui/lei | scendeva |
| noi | scendevamo |
| voi | scendevate |
| loro | scendevano |
The imperfect is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. For example: “Io scendevo una volta.” — “I used to go down”
Future (futuro semplice)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | scenderò |
| tu | scenderai |
| lui/lei | scenderà |
| noi | scenderemo |
| voi | scenderete |
| loro | scenderanno |
The future is used for what will happen, for predictions and for probability. For example: “Io scenderò domani.” — “I will go down”
Conditional (condizionale)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | scenderei |
| tu | scenderesti |
| lui/lei | scenderebbe |
| noi | scenderemmo |
| voi | scendereste |
| loro | scenderebbero |
The conditional is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. For example: “Io scenderei un giorno.” — “I would go down”
Present perfect (passato prossimo)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | sono sceso |
| tu | sei sceso |
| lui/lei | è sceso |
| noi | siamo sceso |
| voi | siete sceso |
| loro | sono sceso |
The passato prossimo is used for completed actions in the past, especially in spoken Italian. For example: “Lui è sceso questa settimana.” — “He has gone down”
Pluperfect (trapassato prossimo)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | ero sceso |
| tu | eri sceso |
| lui/lei | era sceso |
| noi | eravamo sceso |
| voi | eravate sceso |
| loro | erano sceso |
The pluperfect is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Io ero sceso prima della festa.” — “I had gone down”
Future perfect (futuro anteriore)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | sarò sceso |
| tu | sarai sceso |
| lui/lei | sarà sceso |
| noi | saremo sceso |
| voi | sarete sceso |
| loro | saranno sceso |
The future perfect is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Io sarò sceso per domani.” — “I will have gone down”
Conditional perfect (condizionale passato)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | sarei sceso |
| tu | saresti sceso |
| lui/lei | sarebbe sceso |
| noi | saremmo sceso |
| voi | sareste sceso |
| loro | sarebbero sceso |
The conditional perfect is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Io sarei sceso ieri.” — “I would have gone down”
Present subjunctive (congiuntivo presente)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | scenda |
| tu | scenda |
| lui/lei | scenda |
| noi | scendiamo |
| voi | scendiate |
| loro | scendano |
The present subjunctive is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after che. For example: “È importante che io scenda.” — “It is important that I go down”
Imperfect subjunctive (congiuntivo imperfetto)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | scendessi |
| tu | scendessi |
| lui/lei | scendesse |
| noi | scendessimo |
| voi | scendeste |
| loro | scendessero |
The imperfect subjunctive is used in the past for wishes and hypotheticals after che, and in if-clauses. For example: “Era importante che io scendessi.” — “It was important that I go down”
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | scendi |
| lui/lei | scenda |
| noi | scendiamo |
| voi | scendete |
| loro | scendano |
The affirmative imperative is used for direct commands and instructions. For example: “Scendi!” — “Go down!”
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | scendere |
| lui/lei | scenda |
| noi | scendiamo |
| voi | scendiate |
| loro | scendano |
The negative imperative is used for prohibitions and negative commands. For example: “Non scendere.” — “Do not go down.”
Gerund
| Form | Italian |
|---|---|
| Gerund | scendendo |
The gerund is used for an action happening at the same time as another action, often with stare for the progressive. For example: “Scendendo, imparo molto.” — “While going down, I learn a lot.”
Present participle
| Form | Italian |
|---|---|
| Present participle | scendente |
The present participle is used as an adjective, describing an ongoing action. For example, the participle scendente is used to describe something that is happening at the same time as the main action, much like an English -ing adjective.
Past participle
| Form | Italian |
|---|---|
| Past participle | sceso |
The past participle is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Io sono sceso questa settimana.” — “I have gone down.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with scendere, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the Italian and try to produce it from the English.
- “Io scendo ogni giorno.” — “I go down”
- “Tu scendesti ieri.” — “You went down”
- “Lui scendeva una volta.” — “He used to go down”
- “Io scenderò domani.” — “I will go down”
- “Tu scenderesti un giorno.” — “You would go down”
- “Lui è sceso questa settimana.” — “He has gone down”
- “Io ero sceso prima della festa.” — “I had gone down”
- “Tu sarai sceso per domani.” — “You will have gone down”
- “È importante che io scenda.” — “It is important that I go down”
- “Scendi!” — “Go down!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Io scendere.”
✓ Right: “Io scendo ogni giorno.”
The infinitive scendere never takes a subject. After io you need the conjugated present form scendo.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Io scendi.”
✓ Right: “Io scendo ogni giorno.”
scendi is the tu form, not the io form. Match the verb to the subject every time: io goes with scendo.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Io scendo ieri.”
✓ Right: “Io sono sceso questa settimana.”
Yesterday points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the passato prossimo sono sceso for a finished action yesterday.
4. Using the wrong auxiliary in the passato prossimo
✗ Wrong: “Io ho sceso.”
✓ Right: “Io sono sceso questa settimana.”
The passato prossimo of scendere is formed with essere plus the past participle sceso: the io form is sono sceso. Check the auxiliary in the table above before you build a perfect tense.
5. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger
✗ Wrong: “È importante che io scendo.”
✓ Right: “È importante che io scenda.”
After è importante che Italian needs the subjunctive, so use scenda here, not the indicative scendo.
6. Using the gerund instead of the past participle in a perfect tense
✗ Wrong: “Io sono scendendo.”
✓ Right: “Io sono sceso questa settimana.”
The perfect tenses need the past participle sceso, not the gerund scendendo. The gerund belongs in progressive constructions, never after an auxiliary in a perfect tense.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on scendere. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the io form of scendere in the Present indicative?
- A) scendi
- B) scendo
- C) scende
- D) scendiamo
What is the lui/lei form of scendere in the Passato remoto?
- A) scesi
- B) scendesti
- C) scese
- D) scendemmo
What is the noi form of scendere in the Imperfect?
- A) scendevo
- B) scendevi
- C) scendeva
- D) scendevamo
What is the tu form of scendere in the Future?
- A) scenderai
- B) scenderò
- C) scenderà
- D) scenderemo
What is the io form of scendere in the Conditional?
- A) scenderesti
- B) scenderei
- C) scenderebbe
- D) scenderemmo
What is the lui/lei form of scendere in the Present perfect (passato prossimo)?
- A) sono sceso
- B) sei sceso
- C) è sceso
- D) siamo sceso
What is the lui/lei form of scendere in the Present subjunctive?
- A) scendiamo
- B) scendiate
- C) scendano
- D) scenda
What is the io form of scendere in the Imperfect subjunctive?
- A) scendessi
- B) scendesse
- C) scendessimo
- D) scendeste
What is the gerund of scendere?
- A) sceso
- B) scendendo
- C) scendere
- D) scendo
What does scendere mean in English?
- A) to explain
- B) to answer
- C) to go down
- D) to ask
Answer key
- B) scendo — the correct form is scendo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) scese — the correct form is scese. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) scendevamo — the correct form is scendevamo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) scenderai — the correct form is scenderai. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) scenderei — the correct form is scenderei. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) è sceso — the correct form is è sceso. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) scenda — the correct form is scenda. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) scendessi — the correct form is scendessi. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) scendendo — the correct form is scendendo. 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 scendere mean in English?
scendere means “to go down”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is scendere regular or irregular?
scendere is irregular: it is irregular in passato-remoto, past-participle, present-perfect, pluperfect. The gerund is scendendo and the past participle is sceso.
What are the gerund and past participle of scendere?
The gerund is scendendo — use it with stare for the progressive. The past participle is sceso — use it with essere for the perfect tenses, as in sono sceso.
Which auxiliary does scendere take in the passato prossimo?
scendere takes essere in the passato prossimo: the io form is sono sceso. All four perfect tenses on this page are built with essere plus the past participle sceso.
How do I say “I go down” in Italian?
Say “Io scendo ogni giorno.” — “I go down” The io form of the present is scendo, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of scendere — every tense of scendere in one place.
- Scendere in the passato prossimo tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Scendere examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice questions for this verb.
- Italian passato prossimo tense guide — the full guide to the passato prossimo tense in Italian.
- Italian irregular verbs — every common irregular Italian verb, grouped by pattern.
- Rispondere conjugation — another everyday Italian verb.
- Discutere conjugation — another everyday Italian verb.
- Italian verbs — the full hub of Italian conjugation pages.
- VerbFlow home — all languages, tools and verb lists.
- Verb Conjugator — practise scendere with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise scendere with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise scendere with the interactive tool.