sitzen
/ˈzɪtsn̩/
The German verb for "sit" is sitzen.
sitzen describes the state of 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?
German distinguishes between the state of being seated and the action of moving into a seat. Use sitzen to describe the state of being seated, but use setzen for the action of sitting down or placing oneself in a seat.
How does it change in a sentence?
The simple past tense of sitzen is saß. To form the perfect tense, use the past participle gesessen with the auxiliary verb haben.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈzɪtsn̩/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use sitzen when they mean the action of sitting down. Instead, you should use sich setzen to describe the movement of sitting.
Did you know?
- The phrase das sitzt is used as a colloquial way to say a joke or a verbal jab 'hit the mark' or was perfectly timed.
- If something is 'stuck' or 'jammed' in a mechanism, a German speaker might say it sitzt fest.
- While sitzen describes being seated, the expression unter Hausarrest sitzen means to be under house arrest or im Gefängnis sitzen means to be in prison.
Examples in context
- Wo soll ich sitzen?Where am I supposed to sit?This is useful for asking where one is supposed to sit with sitzen.Tatoeba #8497914 by Luiaard, translation #3223015 by CK
- Kann ich hier sitzen?May I sit here?This is useful for asking permission to sit in a location with sitzen.Tatoeba #804487 by Esperantostern, translation #61514 by CK
- Wir sitzen nie vorne.We never sit in the front.This is useful for stating that one never sits in the front with sitzen.Tatoeba #9847345 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #9845435 by CK
- 178 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lukas and Julia are at a crowded cafe.
- LukasJulia, darf ich hier sitzen?Julia, may I sit here?
- JuliaJa, Lukas, bitte setz dich.Yes, Lukas, please sit down.
- LukasDanke, der Platz ist sehr gemütlich.Thanks, the spot is very cozy.
- JuliaIch sitze auch gerne hier.I also like sitting here.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sit” translations and entries sitzen, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
