Taking a seat

The idea

The reflexive verb sentarse describes sitting down. Match the pronoun to the subject: me siento, te sientas, se sienta, nos sentamos, os sentáis, se sientan. The stressed stem changes from e to ie, but nos sentamos and os sentáis keep e. To invite one person informally, say siéntate.

Examples

• Me siento junto a la ventana.I sit down by the window.
• ¿Te sientas en este banco?Will you sit down on this bench?
• Mi hermana se sienta cerca de la puerta.My sister sits down near the door.
• Nos sentamos bajo un árbol.We sit down under a tree.
• Vosotros os sentáis delante del escenario.You sit down in front of the stage.
• Siéntate aquí, por favor.Sit down here, please.

Watch out

Do not use se sienta with yo: the speaker needs me siento.

Try it yourself

1. Choose the correct form: Yo ___ en el sofá. (me siento / me sento)

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   me siento

   me siento matches the speaker.

2. Choose the correct form: Nosotros ___ en la terraza. (nos sentamos / nos sientamos)

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   nos sentamos

   nos sentamos refers to the speaker and others.

3. Choose the correct form: Por favor, ___ aquí. (siéntate / sentate)

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   siéntate

   siéntate is the form required by this sentence. The accent keeps the stress in the informal command.

Use it today

Describe when or where you practise sitting down.