Translation guide
How to express the action of sitting down in Japanese, from formal to casual situations.
I sat down.
The physical act of lowering oneself onto a seat or the floor.
The most common verb for sitting down. Can be used for chairs, floors, etc.
Please sit down.
He sat down on the chair.
Literally 'lower one's hips', a slightly more formal or descriptive way to say sit down.
Formal term used in ceremonies, meetings, or instructions. Implies taking one's assigned seat.
Please be seated.
Specifically sitting on tatami or floor, often in traditional settings.
Still the default verb, but context implies floor sitting.
We sat on the tatami and drank tea.
To sit in the formal kneeling posture (seiza). Not just any floor sitting.
In tea ceremony, we sit in seiza.
To sit cross-legged. Casual, mostly for men in informal settings.
Polite or casual ways to offer a seat.
Standard polite invitation to sit.
Please have a seat.
More formal and elegant. Often used in business or customer service.
This way, please. Please take a seat.
Casual command form. Use only with close friends or family.
Sit down and make yourself comfortable.
座る is the everyday verb. 腰を下ろす is more literary or descriptive, often used in narratives. 着席する is strictly formal, used in schools, ceremonies, or official settings.
Please remain seated during class.
English 'sitting' can mean the state of being seated. In Japanese, 座っている (suwatte iru) is the state, while 座る is the action of sitting down. Use 座っている for 'is sitting'.
He is sitting now.
I sat down on the sofa and started reading a book.
彼はあぐらをかいてテレビを見ている。
He's sitting cross-legged watching TV.