席
seki[se̞kʲi]
The English word 'seat' is translated into Japanese as 席 (seki). Wiktionary also lists シート (shīto) and 座席 (zaseki).
Meaning: place in which to sit (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 席 | seki | [se̞kʲi] (narrow) |
| シート | shīto | [ɕiːto̞] (narrow) |
| 座席 | zaseki | [d͡za̠se̞kʲi] (narrow) |
The most common and general term for a seat or a place to sit is 席. If you need to say that someone has temporarily stepped away from their desk or is 'away from their seat', you can use the phrase 席を外す. To say that you are leaving a seat vacant or making a seat available, use the phrase 席を空ける.
Which one should you use?
While 席 is the most common and general word for a seat, 座席 is a more formal or technical term. You will often encounter 座席 in the context of public transport or during formal announcements.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
seki
Did you know?
- In traditional Japanese seating, the 上座 'kamiza' is the 'honored seat' furthest from the entrance, reserved for the most important guest.
- The word 席 is frequently used in business much more broadly than 'seat', often meaning 'one's position' or 'one's turn' in a social hierarchy.
- The Japanese Katakana word シート can mean both 'seat' and 'sheet', such as a bed sheet, depending on the context.
Examples in context
- 席は予約したの？Have you reserved a seat?This sentence is useful for asking if a seat was reserved using 席.Tatoeba #9752668 by small_snow, translation #11473524 by CK
- 席にもどりなさい。Go back to your seat.This sentence is useful for telling someone to return to their seat using 席.Tatoeba #142472 by bunbuku, translation #17013 by CK
- そこは私の席です。That's my seat.This sentence is useful for stating that a specific spot is your seat using 席.Tatoeba #10643769 by small_snow, translation #5906064 by Hybrid
- 私の席はこちらです。This is my seat.
- 123 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hiyori and Hiroto are looking for a place to sit in a cafe.
- 陽葵 Himari空いている席はあるかな？Aite iru seki wa aru kana?I wonder if there are any open seats?
- 大翔 Hirotoあそこに空いている席があるよ。Asoko ni aite iru seki ga aru yo.There is an open seat over there.
- 陽葵 Himariよかった！あそこの席にしよう。Yokatta! Asoko no seki ni shiyou.Great! Let's take those seats.
- 大翔 Hirotoいいよ。じゃあ、行こう。Ii yo. Jaa, ikou.Sure. Let's go.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “seat” translations and entries 席, シート, 座席, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries シート, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
