sitt ner!
/sɪtː neːr/word by word
The phrase "sit down!" in Swedish is sitt ner!
sitt ner! is an imperative used to tell someone to take a seat.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the imperative form of sitta (to sit) and the particle ner (down).
Which one should you use?
While sitt ner! is a direct command, the phrase sätt dig is more common when making social invitations.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form sitt ner is the imperative used for both the singular "you" (du) and a group of people (ni).
How do you pronounce it?
/sɪtː neːr/
Did you know?
- The Swedish language uses the concept of 'sitting' to describe how certain objects are placed. For example, a person might say a painting 'sits' on the wall rather than 'hangs'.
- The word ner in 'sitt ner!' shares an ancient root with the English word 'nether', which is why we use 'nether' to describe things located below.
- Because 'sitt ner!' can sound like an order, many Swedes prefer to use a question like 'Vill du sitta?' ('Do you want to sit?') to maintain the famous Swedish 'lagom' or balanced politeness.
Examples in context
- Vänligen ta plats, tack, så kan mötet börja.Please take a seat, and the meeting can begin.
- Kom igen, sätt dig ned och berätta allt!Come on, sit down and tell us everything!
- Slå dig ner, vi har mycket att prata om!Sit yourself down, we have a lot to talk about!
- Sitt ner!Sit down!
Example conversation
Maja is welcoming Karl into her living room.
- MajaHej Karl, kom in!Hi Karl, come in!
- KarlTack så mycket, Maja.Thank you very much, Maja.
- MajaSitt ner! Jag hämtar kaffe.Sit down! I will get coffee.
- KarlDet låter jättebra.That sounds great.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (sitt, ner) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ner, CC BY-SA 4.0.
