Bajar vs. descender
The Spanish words bajar and descender both translate to to go down or to come down in English. However, their usage can differ slightly based on context and regional influences.
Bajar
A1Bajar is a versatile verb used frequently in Spanish to express the act of going down or lowering something. It's often used in physical and figurative contexts.
Voy a bajar las escaleras.
(I'm going to go down the stairs.)
Por favor, baja el volumen de la música.
(Please, turn down the volume of the music.)
El sol está bajando en el horizonte.
(The sun is going down on the horizon.)
Descender
B1Descender usually has a more formal tone and is most commonly used in technical or formal contexts. It refers mostly to decreasing levels or values, or coming down from a higher position in a more abstract sense.
El acantilado desciende abruptamente hacia el mar.
(The cliff descends abruptly towards the sea.)
La economía va a descender este año debido a la pandemia.
(The economy is going to go down this year due to the pandemic.)
El río desciende de la montaña y fluye hacia el valle.
(The river descends from the mountain and flows into the valley.)
Summary
Bajar and descender both mean to go down, however, bajar is more commonly used for lowering things and descending stairs while descender is predominantly used in formal contexts or when referring to lowering levels or values.