sėdėti
[sʲeː¹ˈdʲeːtʲɪ]
To sit in Lithuanian is sėdėti.
The verb refers to 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)
Which one should you use?
sėdėti is an imperfective verb, meaning it describes a continuous state of sitting rather than the single action of sitting down.
How does it change in a sentence?
The third-person singular present tense of sėdėti is sėdi (he/she/it sits). The first-person singular past tense is sėdėjau (I sat / I was sitting). The singular imperative form (command) of sėdėti is sėdėk.
Did you know?
- Lithuanian uses the verb sėdėti to describe not just sitting on a chair, but also the act of being in prison.
- The verb sėdėti is a direct relative of the English word 'sit', as both come from the Proto-Indo-European root *sed-.
- While 'to sit' describes a person's posture, Lithuanian also uses the verb sėdėti to describe things like a house or a building 'sitting' on a plot of land.
Examples in context
- sėdėti rankas sudėjusTo sit on one's handsThis example shows how to use sėdėti in the phrase 'to sit on one's hands'.
Example conversation
Mantas and Eglė are in a cafe.
- MantasAr aš galiu čia sėdėti?Can I sit here?
- EglėTaip, sėdėti gali.Yes, you can sit.
- MantasAčiū, nes aš jau pavargau stovėti.Thanks, because I am already tired of standing.
- EglėSuprantu, pailsėk šiek tiek.I understand, rest for a bit.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sit” translations and entries sėdėti, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sėdėti, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
