Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| estar sentado | /estaɾ sentado/ (from spelling rules) |
| seer | /seˈeɾ/ |
In Spanish, being in a seated position is viewed as a state rather than a continuous action.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase estar sentado literally translates to 'to be seated'.
Which one should you use?
Use sentarse to describe the action of moving from a standing to a sitting position, whereas estar sentado describes the state of already being seated.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Latin American countries, the phrase Toma asiento is used to mean 'Take a seat.'
How does it change in a sentence?
The participle sentado must agree in gender and number with the person who is sitting, appearing as sentado, sentada, sentados, sentadas.
How do you pronounce it?
/estaɾ sentado/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often incorrectly use sentar to mean 'to sit'. However, sentar is a transitive verb meaning to seat someone else. To sit yourself, you must use the reflexive sentarse or the state estar sentado.
Did you know?
- While sentar means 'to seat', it is also used in the expression sentar mal, which means to 'agree poorly' or to make someone feel sick, such as after eating.
- The verb estar shares a common ancestor with the English word 'state', both originating from the Latin 'stare' which means 'to stand'.
- If you say that a piece of clothing te sienta bien, you are not talking about how it sits on your body, but rather that it 'suits you well'.
Examples in context
- Estoy contento de estar sentado aquí fuera charlando contigo.I'm happy to sit out here and chat with you.This sentence shows the use of estar sentado in a social context.Tatoeba #5704660 by arh, translation #2044951 by CK
- ¿Cuántas horas vas a estar sentado frente al televisor?How many hours are you going to sit in front of the TV?This sentence shows how to use estar sentado when discussing duration.Tatoeba #10787473 by megamanenm, translation #2638940 by Joseph
- Por favor, tome asientoPlease, take a seat.
- Puede tomar asiento donde gusteYou can take a seat wherever you like.
- Siéntate y relájateSit down and relax.
- Siéntese, por favorPlease, have a seat.
- Él prefiere estar sentado en el sofá.He prefers to be sitting on the sofa.
Example conversation
Maria and Alejandro are in a waiting room.
- MaríaAlejandro, ¿estás cansado de estar sentado?Alejandro, are you tired of sitting?
- AlejandroSí, me duele la espalda.Yes, my back hurts.
- María¿Quieres caminar un poco?Do you want to walk a little?
- AlejandroSí, es buena idea.Yes, that's a good idea.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sit” translations and entries seer, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries estar, sentado, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
