tome asiento
/tome asjento/from spelling rules
To say "take a seat" in Spanish, use tome asiento.
Tome asiento is a phrase used in formal settings to say "take a seat."
Meaning: sit down (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the verb tome (take, imperative form) and the noun asiento (seat).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a very high level of formality, you can use Le ruego que tome asiento, which means "I kindly request that you take a seat." In contrast, Siéntate is an informal command that translates to "sit down."
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, you may hear the expressions Siéntese, por favor or Pase y siéntese. In Mexico, a person might say Siéntese aquí.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the phrase changes depending on who you are addressing: use toma asiento when speaking to someone you know well or someone younger, use tome asiento for a single person in a formal context and use tomen asiento when addressing more than one person.
Did you know?
- While tome asiento refers to a physical chair, the word asiento is also the technical term for a 'journal entry' in accounting.
- In a professional context, using toma asiento instead of tome asiento to a superior can be perceived as a subtle but sharp sign of disrespect.
- The word asiento shares an ancestral root with the English word 'settle', both relating to the idea of being placed or established.
Examples in context
- Por favor tome asiento.Take a seat, please.This sentence shows how to use tome asiento with a polite addition.Tatoeba #757030 by Shishir, translation #462484 by lukaszpp
- Tome asiento, por favor.Please take a seat.This sentence shows an alternative word order for tome asiento with a polite addition.Tatoeba #614450 by Leono, translation #38593 by CK
- ¡Tome asiento por favor!Please take a seat!This sentence shows an emphatic way to use tome asiento with a polite addition.Tatoeba #2115564 by marcelostockle, translation #2115553 by freddy1
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A doctor's office where a woman greets a man.
- ElenaPase, pase. Tome asiento.Come in, come in. Take a seat.
- AlejandroMuchas gracias, doctora.Thank you very much, doctor.
- Elena¿Cómo se siente hoy, Alejandro?How are you feeling today, Alejandro?
- AlejandroUn poco cansado, pero bien.A bit tired, but well.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
