French · Everyday Verbs

"to sit (down)" in French: s'asseoir

s'asseoir

Say it: sah-SWAHRverb/s‿a.swaʁ/

To sit (down) in French is s'asseoir. Common forms: je m'assieds, tu t'assieds, assieds-toi. Être assis/assise means to be seated.

Café

Je m'assieds près de la fenêtre.
I'm sitting near the window.
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How to pronounce s'asseoir

Say it

sah-SWAHR

/s‿a.swaʁ/

sah-SWAHR. Assieds is ah-SYAY. Assis is ah-SEE. Soft French r in asseoir.

"to sit (down)" in French: quick reference

FrenchEnglish
s'asseoirto sit down

Infinitive.

je m'assieds / tu t'assiedsI sit / you sit

Present.

assieds-toisit down

Informal imperative.

être assis / assiseto be seated

State.

How to use s'asseoir in real life

  1. 1Café

    Je m'assieds près de la fenêtre.

    I'm sitting near the window.

    Je m'assieds.

  2. 2Host invite

    Assieds-toi, je t'apporte un verre.

    Sit down; I'll bring you a drink.

    Assieds-toi.

  3. 3Waiting room

    Elle est assise depuis une heure.

    She's been sitting for an hour.

    Est assise.

Mistakes English speakers make with s'asseoir

Incorrect: Je m'asseoir ici.

Correct: Je m'assieds ici.

Conjugate: je m'assieds.

Incorrect: Assis-toi (wrong stem).

Correct: Assieds-toi.

Imperative uses assieds-toi.

Good to know

Hosts say Assieds-toi ! as soon as you arrive. On the metro, être assis is a small daily victory.

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Finding seats in a café

  1. ChatPal

    On s'assied ici ?

    Shall we sit here?

  2. You

    Oui, je m'assieds face à toi.

    Yes, I'll sit across from you.

  3. ChatPal

    Parfait.

    Perfect.

  4. You

    Je commande ?

    Shall I order?

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"to sit (down)" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "to sit (down)" in French

How do you say to sit in French?

S'asseoir.

How do you say sit down?

Assieds-toi ! / Asseyez-vous !

Je m'assieds or je m'assoie?

Both exist; je m'assieds is very common.

How do you pronounce s'asseoir?

sah-SWAHR.

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