جلس
jalas/d͡ʒa.la.sa/Hijazi Arabic
To sit in Arabic is جَلَسَ. If unsure, use جلس (jalas). Wiktionary also lists قعد (gaʕad).
Meaning: of a person, be in a position in which the upper body is upright and the legs are supported (verb)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| جلس | jalas | /d͡ʒa.la.sa/ | Hijazi Arabic |
| جَلَسَ | jalasa | ||
| قعد | gaʕad | /qa.ʕa.da/ | Hijazi Arabic |
The verb refers to a person being in a position where the upper body is upright and the legs are supported.
Which one should you use?
In Hijazi Arabic, قعد is a common alternative to jalas for the action of sitting.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The forms جلس and قعد are specific to Hijazi Arabic.
How does it change in a sentence?
The present tense form of the verb is يجلس (he sits / he is sitting). The form تجلس can mean either 'she sits' or 'you (singular masculine) sit' depending on the context. When telling a male to sit down, you use the imperative form اجلس.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /dʒa.la.sa/ (3 syllables).
Did you know?
- In some Arabic dialects, the verb قعد is used as a helper verb to indicate that an action is currently happening, similar to the English 'to be'.
- The Hebrew cognate גלש, meaning 'to surf' or 'to move smoothly over', suggests an ancient connection between the concepts of sliding or flowing and the way a body settles into a position.
- Because Arabic uses gendered imperatives, a man is told اجلس while a woman is told اجلسي, a distinction that changes the entire rhythm of the command.
Examples in context
- هلاّ جلستِ؟Could you please sit?This sentence is useful for asking if someone can sit.Tatoeba #4887508 by Amastan, translation #12830129 by Mortyy
- اِجلس من فضلك.Sit down, please.This sentence is useful for a polite command to sit down.Tatoeba #374721 by saeb, translation #38571 by CK
Example conversation
Ahmed and Layla are meeting at a cafe.
- أحمد Ahmedأهلاً ليلى، تفضلي اجلسي.ahlan Layla, tafaddali ijlisi.Hi Layla, please sit down.
- ليلى Laylaشكراً يا أحمد.shukran ya Ahmed.Thank you, Ahmed.
- أحمد Ahmedهل جلس الكل؟hal jalas al-kull?Has everyone sat down?
- ليلى Laylaلا، لسه في ناس.la, lissa fi nas.No, there are still some people.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sit” translations and entries جلس, قعد, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries جلس, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
