sitja
[ˈsɪːtja]
The English verb 'sit' is translated into Icelandic as sitja.
The verb sitja describes a person being in a position where the upper body is upright and the legs are supported.
Meaning: of a person, be in a position in which the upper body is upright and the legs are supported (verb)
How does it change in a sentence?
The present participle of sitja is sitjandi. If you are addressing multiple people in the present tense, the form is sitið.
Did you know?
- The verb sitja is used in the phrase sitja í eigin saft og krafti, which literally means 'to sit in one's own juice and strength' but describes someone being left to their own devices.
- Icelandic uses sitja to describe the act of serving a prison sentence, similar to the English phrase 'doing time' but using the word for 'sit'.
- The word sitja shares the same Proto-Indo-European root *sed- as the English word 'sediment', which refers to things that 'sit' or settle at the bottom of a liquid.
Examples in context
- Má ég sitja við hliðina á þér?May I sit next to you?This sentence is useful for asking permission to sit next to someone using sitja.Tatoeba #1368361 by Swift, translation #325934 by CK
- Hún labbaði stöðugt um herbergið. Hún virtist of óróleg til að sitja kyrr.She kept walking about the room. She seemed too uneasy to sit still.This sentence demonstrates how someone might be too uneasy to sit still using sitja.Tatoeba #906674 by Swift, translation #316837 by Swift
- Hvenær sem besta vinkona konunnar minnar kemur í heimsókn sitja þær á sófanum og slúðra tímunum saman.Whenever my wife's best friend comes over, they sit on the couch and dish for hours.This sentence describes people sitting on a couch using sitja.Tatoeba #609019 by Swift, translation #608955 by darinmex
- Vinsamlegast taktu sæti.Please take a seat.
Example conversation
Guðrún and Sigurður are in a waiting room.
- GuðrúnViltu sitja hérna með mér?Do you want to sit here with me?
- SigurðurJá, ég sit hérna.Yes, I'll sit here.
- GuðrúnEr stólurinn þinn þægilegur?Is your chair comfortable?
- SigurðurJá, það er gott að sitja hér.Yes, it is good to sit here.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sit” translations and entries sitja, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sitja, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
