Monter dans, descendre de = To get on, off transportation in French (prepositions)

Written by Qualified French Expert Aurélie Drouard HKH, Licence d'anglais LLCE

Last updated: 2022-10-27

36 questions

In French, to express getting on/off a means of transport, you use two specific verbs: monter dans and descendre de.

How to say getting on/off a means of transport in French

Look at these sentences:

Je monte dans le train.I'm getting on the train.

Aurélie descend de l'avion.Aurélie is getting off the plane.

Allez, monte dans la voiture!Come on, get in the car!

Les enfants descendent de la voiture.The kids are getting out of the car.

Note that you use:

- monter dans to describe getting on or in + [a mode of transport]

- descendre de to describe getting off or out of + [a mode of transport]

ATTENTION:

de becomes du or des when followed by le or les, and d' in front of un/une:

Ils descendaient tous des voitures garées là.They were all getting out of the cars parked there.

Alana est descendue du train juste à temps.Alana got off the train just in time.

J'ai vu Sharon Stone descendre d'une limousine.I saw Sharon Stone get out of a limo.

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Préposition

Examples and resources

Les passagers sont descendus du bateau, sains et saufs.The passengers got off the boat, safe and sound.