descendí

Descendí is the first-person singular form of the Spanish verb descend­er in the pretérito indefinido (simple past). It means “I descended” or “I went down,” and is used to describe a completed action in the past. The verb can be literal, referring to moving from a higher to a lower position, such as descending stairs or a mountain, or figurative, indicating a downward progression in a scene or narrative.

Etymology and form: Descender comes from Latin descendere, formed from de- plus scandere (to climb). In the pretérito indefinido, descend­er follows a regular -er verb pattern: descendí, descendiste, descendió, descendimos, descendisteis, descendieron. The accent on the í in descendí marks stress on the final syllable, as is typical for many Spanish verb forms ending in -í.

Usage notes: Descendí is common in both spoken and written Spanish, especially in storytelling or personal accounts. It is often contrasted with bajar, which is a broader synonym for “to go down,” though bajé can emphasize the act of going down by a chosen route. The imperfect form, descendía, expresses ongoing or habitual past action, while descendí conveys a completed event. Although possible, using descendí to signify that one got off a vehicle is less common in everyday Spanish, with phrases like “bajé del tren” or “descendí de la montaña” sounding more natural in many dialects.

Related forms: The infinitive is descend­er; other tenses include des­cendía (imperfect), descenderé (future), and descendieron (third person plural pretérito indefinido). Related nouns include descenso (descent).