Sitzen is a German irregular verb meaning “to sit,” describing the state of being seated or positioned.

Sitzen is an irregular verb that describes the action or state of being seated. It is used in various tenses to indicate someone or something is sitting or has been sitting. Sitzen is a state verb, so it often describes a position rather than an action being performed.

Origin: Old High German sizzan
Conjugation type: irregular (strong verb)
Common usage: describe being seated, indicate position, or reflect a state

Usage

Sitzen can be used transitively (with a direct object) or intransitively (without an object). It describes the physical position of sitting, and can also be used figuratively.

Basic structure:

Subject + sitzen
Example: Ich sitze (I sit / I am sitting)

Common prepositions with sitzen:

sitzen auf (sit on)
sitzen in (sit in)
sitzen an (sit at)
sitzen bei (sit with)

Examples:

Ich sitze auf dem Stuhl.* (I am sitting on the chair.)
Wir sitzen im Zimmer.* (We are sitting in the room.)

Conjugation

Below is the conjugation for sitzen in the present, simple past (Präteritum), and past participle forms, along with example sentences for each person in the present tense.

German Pronoun	German Conjugation	English Conjugation	German Example	English Example
ich	sitze	I sit	Ich sitze am Tisch.	I sit at the table.
du	sitzt	you sit	Du sitzt auf dem Stuhl.	You sit on the chair.
er/sie/es	sitzt	he/she/it sits	Er sitzt neben mir.	He sits next to me.
wir	sitzen	we sit	Wir sitzen im Garten.	We sit in the garden.
ihr	sitzt	you (pl.) sit	Ihr sitzt im Klassenzimmer.	You (pl.) sit in the classroom.
sie/Sie	sitzen	they/you (formal) sit	Sie sitzen im Café.	They sit in the café.

Simple past (Präteritum):

German Pronoun	German Conjugation	English Conjugation	German Example	English Example
ich	saß	I sat	Ich saß den ganzen Tag.	I sat all day.
du	saßest/saßt	you sat	Du saßest draußen.	You sat outside.
er/sie/es	saß	he/she/it sat	Sie saß drinnen.	She sat inside.
wir	saßen	we sat	Wir saßen im Wartezimmer.	We sat in the waiting room.
ihr	saßt	you (pl.) sat	Ihr saßt am Fenster.	You (pl.) sat by the window.
sie/Sie	saßen	they/you (formal) sat	Sie saßen lange zusammen.	They sat together for a long time.

Past participle:

gesessen
Used with haben for compound tenses (e.g., Ich habe gesessen — I have sat.)

Common Mistakes

Mistranslation or overuse of forms:

Incorrect: Ich sitzeet (nonexistent form)
Correct: *Ich sitze

Using sitzen for “to seat someone”:

Sitzen means “to sit” (intransitive). To seat someone, use setzen* (transitive).
Incorrect: Ich sitze das Kind. (I sit the child)
Correct: Ich setze das Kind. (I seat the child)

Incorrect simple past form:

Incorrect: *ich sitzte
Correct: *ich saß

Misuse of prepositions:

Incorrect: *Ich sitze an der Stuhl.
Correct: *Ich sitze auf dem Stuhl.

Identify the mistake in this sentence: 'Ich sitze an der Stuhl.'

Incorrect preposition or article; should be 'auf dem Stuhl'.

The verb 'sitze' is wrong.

The article should be 'die'.

The sentence needs a direct object.

Incorrect preposition or article; should be 'auf dem Stuhl'.

'sitzen' on a chair uses 'auf' (on), not 'an' (at), and 'Stuhl' is masculine dative singular: 'dem Stuhl'. Correct: 'Ich sitze auf dem Stuhl.'

Example Sentences

German Sentence	English Translation
Ich sitze im Büro.	I am sitting in the office.
Sitzt du am Fenster?	Are you sitting by the window?
Er saß den ganzen Abend im Sessel.	He sat in the armchair all evening.
Wir haben lange im Park gesessen.	We sat in the park for a long time.
Die Katze sitzt auf dem Sofa.	The cat is sitting on the couch.
Setz dich, wir warten! (Note: “setzen” is used here for “seat yourself”)	Sit down, we’re waiting!

Summary

Sitzen = to sit (describe position or state of being seated)
Irregular verb: simple past saß, past participle gesessen
Used with/without prepositions (auf, in, an, bei)
Do not confuse with setzen (to seat someone)
Common errors: using the wrong past form, mistranslating, misusing prepositions

Understanding sitzen is essential for describing where and how people or things are positioned, both physically and in conversation.

Flashcards (1 of 18)

English Conjugation: I sit
English Example: I sit at the table.

Next Up: Sollen: should, ought to

Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025

German