descendre une jour

You use this phrase to plant a seed for future plans. You don't need a specific date yet. Just drop it into a conversation or a text message. For example, if you are talking to a friend on the phone, you can say, Tu devrais descendre un jour. This tells them they are welcome anytime. You can also specify a location, like Tu descends un jour à Marseille ? Notice how we often drop the un in very fast speech, but for A1, keep it in. It works perfectly with the present tense to talk about the future, which is a great French shortcut you should use!

Use this when you are feeling hospitable. It’s perfect for texting a friend you haven't seen in a while. It’s also great for when you’ve just moved to a new house in the country. If you are at a party and meet someone cool who lives in another city, this is your go-to invitation. It’s also used when someone is literally 'coming down' to a lower floor. For instance, if you are waiting for a colleague in the lobby, you might ask if they are descendre soon. But usually, it’s about that sweet, sweet vacation visit.

Don't use this in a very formal business setting. If you are inviting a CEO to visit your branch, use nous rendre visite instead. Descendre is a bit too 'chilled out' for a board meeting. Also, be careful with your geography! If you live in Paris and your friend lives in Nice, you cannot ask them to descendre to Paris. In the French mind, Paris is always 'up.' You would ask them to monter un jour (come up one day) to the capital. Using the wrong direction won't ruin your life, but it might get you a funny look!

France is very centralized around Paris. This has created a unique linguistic map. Parisians 'descendre' to the 'province' (anywhere else). People in the South 'monter' to Paris for work or culture. This phrase also reflects the French love for the 'résidence secondaire' (second home). Many people have family homes in the countryside. Inviting someone to descendre for a weekend of cheese and wine is a core part of French social life. It represents an escape from the 'boulot, métro, dodo' (work, metro, sleep) routine of the city.

You will often hear descendre dans le Sud (to go down to the South). Another common one is descendre pour les vacances (to come down for the holidays). If you want to be more specific about time, you could say descendre un week-end. If you are talking about staying at a place, you might say descendre à l'hôtel. This means to stay or lodge somewhere. But for your everyday life, descendre un jour remains the king of casual, friendly invitations.