Baja las escaleras con cuidado.

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Breakdown of Baja las escaleras con cuidado.

• el cuidado: the care
• la escalera: the staircase
• bajar: to go down

Questions & Answers about Baja las escaleras con cuidado.

Is baja here a command (imperative) or the present tense?

It’s the affirmative informal command (tú imperative): Baja = “Go down.” In isolation it could also be the present indicative (“he/she goes down” or “you go down”), but in context—and especially if written with exclamation marks, ¡Baja…!—it’s understood as a command.

How do I give the same command to other people (formal or plural) and in the negative?

• Affirmative:
  • tú: baja
  • usted: baje
  • vosotros (Spain): bajad
  • ustedes: bajen
• Negative:
  • tú: no bajes
  • usted: no baje
  • vosotros (Spain): no bajéis
  • ustedes: no bajen

Why is it las escaleras (plural)? Could I say la escalera?

Spanish typically uses the plural las escaleras for “the stairs” (the whole flight). Singular la escalera can mean “staircase” as a unit or “ladder.” Saying baja la escalera would more likely mean “go down the ladder” or even “take the ladder down,” so las escaleras is the natural choice for a normal set of stairs.

Can I say baja por las escaleras? What’s the difference?