desça

Desça is a conjugated form of the Portuguese verb descer, meaning to descend or go down. In standard grammar, desça is the present subjunctive form for the third-person singular (ele/ela) and is also the affirmative imperative form used when addressing the second-person singular in many varieties of Portuguese, particularly Brazilian Portuguese, where the command you hear is often understood as "Descenda!" or simply "Desça!" for formal address (você).

Uses and examples

The present subjunctive: desça appears in clauses expressing desire, doubt, necessity, or possibility, such as: "É importante que ele desça agora" (it is important that he descend now). The imperative: desça is used in direct commands or instructions, for example: "Desça a ladeira com cuidado" or "Desça da varanda" (descend the incline or step down from the balcony). While informal speech may use other imperative forms (such as desce or desce tu), desça remains common in formal or polite contexts.

Etymology and related forms

Desça derives from the Latin descendere (de- + scandere, to climb). Related forms include descer (infinitive), desço/desces/desce (present indicative), and the noun descent or descida, which denotes the act or instance of descending.

Notes

Desça serves important roles in both formal writing and spoken instruction, and its use as imperative is sensitive to formality and regional variation within the Portuguese language.