estar sentado
/estaɾ sentado/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'sit' can be expressed in Spanish as estar sentado. If unsure, use estar sentado. Wiktionary also lists seer.
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
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| estar sentado | /estaɾ sentado/ (from spelling rules) |
| seer | /seˈeɾ/ |
Use estar sentado to describe a person in a position where their upper body is upright and their legs are supported.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase estar sentado literally translates to 'to be seated'.
Which one should you use?
There is a distinction between the movement and the state: use sentarse for the movement of sitting down and estar sentado for the continuous state of being in a chair.
How does it change in a sentence?
While estar sentado describes the state of being seated, the reflexive verb sentarse is used to describe the action of sitting down.
How do you pronounce it?
/estaɾ sentado/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful not to use sentar to mean 'to sit down oneself'. This is a transitive verb used to seat someone else, such as sentar al niño.
Did you know?
- The expression sentar mal is used when something 'sits' poorly with you, meaning it made you angry or gave you indigestion.
- The English word 'state' and the Spanish verb estar both trace back to the same Latin root, meaning 'to stand'.
- The verb sentar can also mean 'to fit' or 'to suit' someone, such as when saying a piece of clothing 'sits' well on a person.
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 when expressing happiness about a location.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 uses estar sentado to ask about the duration of an activity in front of a television.Tatoeba #10787473 by megamanenm, translation #2638940 by Joseph
- Por favor, tome asiento mientras esperamos al médico.Please, take a seat while we wait for the doctor.
- Siéntate y cuéntame cómo te fue en el trabajo.Sit down and tell me how your day at work was.
- Él prefiere estar sentado en el sofá.He prefers to be sitting on the sofa.
Example conversation
María and Javier are at a café.
- MaríaJavier, ¿prefieres estar sentado en la terraza?Javier, do you prefer to sit on the terrace?
- JavierSí, me gusta más que estar dentro.Yes, I like it more than being inside.
- MaríaEntonces busquemos una mesa libre.Then let's look for a free table.
- JavierPerfecto, vamos allá.Perfect, let's go there.
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.
