siéntese, por favor
To say "sit please" in Spanish, you say siéntese, por favor.
This phrase is used as a polite request asking someone to take a seat.
What does it mean word for word?
The word siéntese is a reflexive imperative that literally means "sit yourself".
Which one should you use?
In contrast, siéntate, por favor is used for friends or family.
How does it change in a sentence?
The informal version of the phrase uses the "tú" imperative form siéntate instead of the formal siéntese. To ask a group of people to sit down, use the plural imperative form siéntense.
Did you know?
- The verb sentarse (to sit down) comes from the same root as the word 'sentence', because the Latin 'sedere' (to sit) is the origin of both the idea of sitting and the idea of a judicial 'sitting' or 'sentence'.
- The verb sentar is used in Spanish to describe how a garment 'fits' or 'suits' a person's appearance, much like how a person 'sits' in a position.
- While siéntese is polite, using it with a close friend or a child can actually sound sarcastic or cold, as it creates an intentional social distance.
Examples in context
- Señor, siéntese, por favor.Sir, please have a seat.
- Siéntate, por favor. ¿Cómo has estado?Sit down, please. How have you been?
- Siéntese, por favor, frente al escritorio.Sit please, in front of the desk.
Example conversation
Elena, a doctor, is welcoming Daniel to her office.
- ElenaHola, Daniel. Siéntese, por favor.Hello, Daniel. Sit please.
- DanielMuchas gracias, doctora.Thank you very much, doctor.
- Elena¿Cómo se siente hoy?How are you feeling today?
- DanielMe siento un poco cansado.I feel a bit tired.
