Use descendre for moving down (I went down the stairs) or for bringing something down (I took the suitcase down).

Compound tenses usually use être when the subject moves (for example, I went down → je suis descendu(e)) and avoir when there is a direct object (for example, I brought down the suitcase → j’ai descendu la valise).

Prononciation : descendre ≈ deh-SAHN-druh (IPA: /dɛ.sɑ̃dʁ/)

Conjugation — Présent, Passé composé, Imparfait, Plus-que-parfait, Futur simple

Personne	Présent	Passé composé	Imparfait	Plus-que-parfait	Futur simple
je	je descends I go down / I am going down	je suis descendu(e) I went down  / j’ai descendu la valise I brought the suitcase down	je descendais I was going down / I used to go down	j’étais descendu(e) I had gone down	je descendrai I will go down
tu	tu descends you go down	tu es descendu(e) you went down / tu as descendu… you brought down…	tu descendais you were going down	tu étais descendu(e) you had gone down	tu descendras you will go down
il/elle/on	il descend he/she/one goes down	il est descendu he went down / il a descendu… he brought down…	il descendait he was going down	il était descendu he had gone down	il descendra he will go down
nous	nous descendons we go down	nous sommes descendu(e)s we went down / nous avons descendu… we brought down…	nous descendions we were going down	nous étions descendu(e)s we had gone down	nous descendrai(ons) nous descendrons we will go down
vous	vous descendez you (pl./formal) go down	vous êtes descendu(e)(s) you went down / vous avez descendu… you brought down…	vous descendiez you were going down	vous étiez descendu(e)(s) you had gone down	vous descendrez  you will go down
ils/elles	ils descendent they go down	ils sont descendus they went down / ils ont descendu… they brought down…	ils descendaient they were going down	ils étaient descendus they had gone down	ils descendront they will go down

Note: for the passé composé, I first show the form with être (movement) and then, separated by /, the form with avoir when it is transitive.

Conjugation — Conditionnel présent, Subjonctif présent, Impératif, Passé simple

Personne	Conditionnel présent	Subjonctif présent	Impératif	Passé simple (littéraire)
je	je descendrais  I would go down	que je descende that I go down	—	je descendis  I went down (lit.)
tu	tu descendrais  you would go down	que tu descendes  that you go down	(tu) descends  go down!	tu descendis  you went down
il/elle/on	il descendrait  he would go down	qu’il descende  that he go down	—	il descendit  he went down
nous	nous descendrions  we would go down	que nous descendions  that we go down	(nous) descendons  let’s go down	nous descendîmes  we went down
vous	vous descendriez  you would go down	que vous descendiez  that you go down	(vous) descendez  go down (pl./formal)!	vous descendîtes  you went down
ils/elles	ils descendraient  they would go down	qu’ils descendent  that they go down	—	ils descendirent  they went down

Exemples (examples):

• Je suis descendu(e) au sous-sol. — I went down to the basement.
• J’ai descendu la valise du coffre. — I brought the suitcase down from the trunk.
• Descends l’escalier prudemment ! — Go down the stairs carefully!
• Nous étions déjà descendus quand il est arrivé. — We had already gone down when he arrived.