se sentó
/se sento/from spelling rules
The Spanish phrase for sat is se sentó.
This phrase is the past tense of sit, used when someone moved their body into a seated position.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is reflexive, meaning the action of sitting is performed upon oneself.
How does it change in a sentence?
Use me senté for I sat, te sentaste for you (informal) sat and se sentaron for they sat.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly omit the reflexive pronoun 'se' and say only sentó instead of se sentó.
Did you know?
- The verb sentar is the root of the expression sentar bien, used to describe how a piece of clothing fits a person or how a piece of news is received. It can also mean that something 'suits' someone.
- While se sentó describes the act of sitting, the Spanish word for chair, silla, shares the same Latin root as the word 'saddle'.
- In Old Spanish, the pronoun used in se sentó was written as ge and pronounced with a sound similar to the 's' in 'measure'.
Examples in context
- Se sentó en la cama.He sat on the bed.This sentence shows how to use se sentó to describe sitting on a piece of furniture.Tatoeba #864263 by Shishir, translation #292659 by CK
- El anciano se sentó.The old man sat down.This sentence uses se sentó to describe an elderly man sitting down.Tatoeba #2452895 by Shishir, translation #43375 by CK
- Se sentó cerca de él.She sat next to him.This sentence uses se sentó to describe sitting in a specific position relative to another person.Tatoeba #890672 by Shishir, translation #887365 by CK
- 145 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Mateo are talking about a meeting at a cafe.
- Sofía¿Dónde estaba el jefe?Where was the boss?
- MateoÉl se sentó en esa mesa.He sat at that table.
- SofíaNo lo vi allí.I didn't see him there.
- MateoSe sentó justo después de que saliste.He sat down right after you left.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries se, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
