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

In: Level A2, Prepositions & Conjunctions, Préposition
Questions: 15

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.

Learn more about these related French grammar topics

Préposition

Examples and resources

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

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

Nous sommes descendus de la montgolfière.
We got off the air balloon.

Les passagers descendirent du Titanic, sains et saufs.
The passengers got off the Titanic, safe and sound.

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

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

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

dans

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

de

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

Q&A

Fahad

Kwiziq community member

26 March 2019

1 reply

Do we also use and for horses, bicycles, and other smaller means of transport? Or only for transport we get inside of?

Marie

Kwiziq language super star

9 April 2019

9/04/19

Hi Fahad!

 

To express that one is getting on a horse, a bicycle, a scooter and any form of transports that you don't get inside of, the correct preposition to use is "sur". 

 

For example: "Il monte sur son cheval" (He gets on his horse).

 

However, when one is getting off a horse, bicycle, etc, you would still say "descendre de" as for a bus, a car, a train...

 

For example: "Elle va descendre de son vélo" (She's going to get off her bicycle)

Robin

Kwiziq community member

3 January 2019

0 replies

débarque?

I am wondering why in a lesson of monter dans and descendre de that a quiz question is using débarque?  Thanks.  (Rose débarque du bateau" means:)

julianne

Kwiziq community member

21 June 2018

2 replies

why is 'du' used for Alana est descendu du train juste a temps?

the instructions prior says 'de' becomes 'du' when followed by le or les - neither of which occurs in this example. is it because train is masculine? and the du train replaces 'de le train'? It's a bit unclear given de l' is used in the example with masculine noun l'avion - 'Aurelie descend de l'avion'. thank you

Chris

Kwiziq community member

21 June 2018

21/06/18

Hi Julianne,

Yes, your hunch is correct: it is because "de+le train" turns into "du train".

-- Chris (not a native speaker).

julianne

Kwiziq community member

22 June 2018

22/06/18

many thanks! This could be better explained with a phrase using descendre du [a male gendered form of transport] that doesnt start with a vowel in the first few examples of the lesson - to add to l'avion and la voiture. 

Jill

Kwiziq community member

11 May 2018

1 reply

Button not working

I've revisted this quiz several times and each time I try to click on the "next" button nothing happens.  All of the rest of my quizes are fine.

Aurélie

Kwiziq language super star

11 May 2018

11/05/18

Bonjour Jill !

Thanks for reporting a technical issue.
In this case, we need you to use the Report button linked to the specific test you're mentioning, so that we can see it specifically, and look into it for you.

Thank you very much!

Gerry

Kwiziq community member

27 March 2018

1 reply

Using etre for the passe compose of descendre

Chris

Kwiziq community member

27 March 2018

27/03/18

Please repost your question here. -- Chris.

Steven

Kwiziq community member

9 January 2017

2 replies

Bonjour. Le fichier audio est incorrect pour "Nous sommes descendus de la montgolfière."

Il dit <> :)

Steven

Kwiziq community member

9 January 2017

9/01/17

For some reason the rest of my comment was truncated. Should be "Il dit 'Nous avons debarqué de l'avion.'"

Aurélie

Kwiziq language super star

9 January 2017

9/01/17

Bonjour Steven ! Thank you very much for letting us know ! The bad sound files have now been replaced :) Merci et bonne année !

Kwiziq community member

25 December 2016

1 reply

On a écrit: "Allez, monte dans la voiture!"

mais je me demande si cela devrait être "Allez, montez ..."?

Aurélie

Kwiziq language super star

27 December 2016

27/12/16

Bonjour zizi ! You are not wrong here, as both sentences would be perfectly correct: "monte" would address one person in an informal way, and "montez" would address either several people, or one person in an formal way. The use of "allez" here is colloquial, and doesn't necessarily match the number of people spoken to. This is just the way to say "Come on!". I hope that's helpful! Bonnes Fêtes et à bientôt !

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