sit
/sət/
The English phrase 'put' is translated into Afrikaans as sit.
The verb sit is used to express the action of placing something somewhere.
Meaning: to place something somewhere (verb)
How does it change in a sentence?
In the present tense, sit is invariant for all persons. The form remains the same whether you say 'I put' (ek sit), 'you put' (jy sit), 'he puts' (hy sit) or 'we put' (ons sit). The past participle of the verb is gesit.
How do you pronounce it?
/sət/
Did you know?
- The Afrikaans word sit is a linguistic merger of two different Dutch verbs: zitten meaning 'to sit' and zetten meaning 'to set' or 'to put'.
- The word sit descends from the Proto-Indo-European root *sed-, which is also the ancestor of the English word 'sediment'.
- While English distinguishes between 'sit' and 'put', the Afrikaans verb sit performs both roles, meaning a person can 'sit' in a chair or 'sit' a book on a table.
Examples in context
- Ek sal dit terug sit waar dit behoort.I'll put it back where it belongs.This sentence is useful for demonstrating how to use sit to describe putting something back in its proper place.Tatoeba #2795239 by Diablofire, translation #2540562 by CK
- Ek sal my paspoort terug in die kluis sit.I'll put my passport back in the safe.This sentence shows how to use sit when describing the action of putting an object into a safe.Tatoeba #2786751 by Diablofire, translation #2539222 by CK
- Ek plaas die boek op die rak.I put the book on the shelf.
- Sy sit die koffiebeker op die tafel.She puts the coffee mug on the table.
- Ons berg die klere in die kas.We put the clothes in the closet.
- Ek los my sak op die tafel.I put/leave my bag on the table.
- Sit die glas op die tafel.Put the glass on the table.
Example conversation
Andries and Anika are cleaning the living room.
- AndriesWaar moet ek hierdie boek sit?Where should I put this book?
- AnikaSit dit asseblief op die rak, Andries.Please put it on the shelf, Andries.
- AndriesRegs of links?Right or left?
- AnikaSit dit net aan die regterkant.Just put it on the right side.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry sit, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sit, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
