جَلَسَ
jalasa
To sit down in Arabic is جَلَسَ (jalasa). Wiktionary also lists قَعَدَ (qaʕada).
Meaning: to assume a sitting position from a standing position (verb)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| جَلَسَ | jalasa |
| قَعَدَ | qaʕada |
The phrase refers to the act of assuming a sitting position from a standing position.
Which one should you use?
جَلَسَ is the standard and most common way to express the act of sitting in Modern Standard Arabic. In contrast, قَعَدَ is used more often in formal, literary or classical contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
When giving commands, the imperative form changes based on who you are addressing: use اِجْلِسْ for a male singular subject and اِجْلِسِي for a female singular subject. For the third-person masculine singular present tense of جَلَسَ, use يَجْلِسُ.
How do you pronounce it?
jalasa
Did you know?
- The root letters for جَلَسَ are shared with the word مَجْلِس, which today is used globally in political contexts to refer to a parliament or council.
- In certain Arabic dialects, using قَعَدَ can be a way to express that someone has 'started' doing something, similar to how 'got to' is used in some English dialects.
- While جَلَسَ is used for the act of sitting, the noun for a 'sitting' or 'gathering' is جَلْسَة. In many Arabic cultures, a جَلْسَة is not just a posture but a social ritual of hospitality and conversation.
Examples in context
- اجلس على الكرسي، من فضلك.Sit on the chair, please.
- جَلَسَ الطِّفْلُ عَلَى الْكُرْسِيِّ.jalasa aṭ-ṭiflu ‘alā al-kursiyyi.The child sat on the chair.
- جَلَسَ الرَّجُلُ بِجَانِبِ النَّهْرِ.jalasa ar-rajulu bijānibi an-nahri.The man sat beside the river.
- جَلَسَ الضَّيْفُ فِي غُرْفَةِ الْجُلُوسِ.jalasa aḍ-ḍayfu fī gurfati al-julūsi.The guest sat in the living room.
Example conversation
Nour and Omar are at a cafe.
- نور Nourتَفَضَّلْ يَا عُمَرُ، اِجْلِسْ هُنَا.tafaḍḍal yā ‘umaru, ijlis hunā.Please, Omar, sit down here.
- عمر Omarشُكْرًا لَكِ يَا نُورُ.shukran laki yā nūru.Thank you, Nour.
- نور Nourهَلْ جَلَسَ الرَّجُلُ الَّذِي كُنَّا نَنْتَظِرُهُ؟hal jalasa ar-rajulu allaḏī kunnā nantaẓiruhu?Has the man we were waiting for sat down?
- عمر Omarلَا، لَمْ يَصِلْ بَعْدُ.lā, lam yaṣil ba‘du.No, he hasn't arrived yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sit down” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
