The verb 'to sit' seems simple enough, right? In French, the most common way to say it is s'asseoir. But just like in English where you can 'take a seat', 'have a seat', or 'perch' on a stool, French has its own nuances and different expressions.

Whether you're politely offering someone a chair at a dinner party or describing someone lounging on a sofa, knowing the right way to talk about sitting can make your French sound much more natural.

Let's dive into 9 different ways to say 'to sit' and see how you can use them in everyday conversation!

1. The standard 'to sit down' – s'asseoir

The standard 'to sit down' – s'asseoir

S'asseoir is the most common and versatile French verb for the action of 'to sit down'. It's a pronominal verb, which means the action reflects back on the subject—literally, 'to seat oneself'.

Because it's a pronominal verb, you must always use a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous, se) that matches the subject. For example, 'I sit down' is Je m'assieds (I seat myself), not just J'assieds.

Here's where it gets tricky: s'asseoir is an irregular verb with two different, yet equally correct, sets of conjugations in the present tense. One is more common in everyday speech, while the other is considered more formal or literary.

This is the form you'll hear most often in modern, spoken French:

• Je m'assieds
• Tu t'assieds
• Il/Elle/On s'assied
• Nous nous asseyons
• Vous vous asseyez
• Ils/Elles s'asseyent

This form is also correct and often found in writing or more formal contexts:

• Je m'assois
• Tu t'assois
• Il/Elle/On s'assoit
• Nous nous assoyons
• Vous vous assoyez
• Ils/Elles s'assoient

Don't panic! You don't need to master both at once. The best strategy is to pick one form (we recommend the first, more common one) and stick with it for your own use. However, it's important to be able to recognize both forms when you hear or read them.

In the passé composé, s'asseoir uses être as its auxiliary verb. The past participle is assis. Remember to make the participle agree in gender and number with the subject!

• Il s'est assis. (He sat down.)
• Elle s'est assise. (She sat down.)
• Nous nous sommes assis(es). (We sat down.)

To tell someone to sit down, you use the imperative mood:

• Assieds-toi ! (Sit down! - informal, to one person)
• Asseyez-vous ! (Sit down! - formal, or to multiple people)

💡 * Puis-je m'asseoir ici ? (May I sit here?)

• Asseyez-vous, s'il vous plaît. (Sit down, please.)
• Elle s'est assise sur le banc pour lire son livre. (She sat on the bench to read her book.)
• Les enfants, asseyez-vous et écoutez l'histoire. (Children, sit down and listen to the story.)
• Nous nous asseyons toujours à la même table au café. (We always sit at the same table at the cafe.)

The state of 'being seated' – être assis(e)

In French, describing the state of 'being seated' is different from English. It's not a continuous action but a state of being. This is expressed using the verb être (to be) followed by the past participle assis(e), which acts like an adjective describing the subject.

The formula is être + assis(e). Because assis functions as an adjective, it must agree in gender and number with the subject. For a masculine subject, it's assis; for a feminine subject, assise. For plural subjects, you add an 's': assis (masculine/mixed) and assises (feminine).

A common point of confusion is the difference between être assis(e) and the verb s'asseoir. Remember: s'asseoir is the action of sitting down (e.g., Je m'assois - I am sitting down). In contrast, être assis(e) is the resulting state of already being seated (e.g., Je suis assis - I am seated).

To change the tense, you simply conjugate the verb être. The participle assis(e) only changes for agreement, not for tense. For example, 'She was seated' is Elle était assise, and 'They will be seated' is Ils seront assis.

You'll use this construction constantly in daily life to describe where someone is located. It's the natural way to say someone is sitting on a chair, on the floor, on a bench, or anywhere else.

💡 * Quand je suis arrivée, elle était déjà assise sur le canapé.

• Nous sommes assis au premier rang pour voir le spectacle.
• Le chat est assis près de la fenêtre.
• Pourquoi êtes-vous assises par terre ?

The formal 'to take a seat' – prendre place

The expression prendre place is a formal way to say 'to take a seat' in French. While its literal translation is 'to take place,' its primary use in this context is for seating.

This is not a casual phrase. You'll hear prendre place in formal settings like weddings, conferences, fancy restaurants, or theaters when an usher or host is directing people. It conveys a higher level of politeness than the standard verb s'asseoir.

The key difference is register. You would tell a friend Assieds-toi ! ('Sit down!'), but in a formal context, an official might say, Veuillez prendre place ('Please take your seat'). Using prendre place with friends would sound overly stiff and unnatural.

In this expression, only the verb prendre (to take) is conjugated to match the subject. The noun place (seat/place) remains unchanged. For example: Je prends place (I take a seat), Nous prenons place (We take a seat).

It's crucial to know that prendre place also means 'to take place' or 'to occur,' referring to an event. For example, La réunion va prendre place à 10h means 'The meeting will take place at 10 AM.' Context is the only way to tell the two meanings apart.

💡 * Veuillez prendre place, le spectacle va commencer. (Please take a seat, the show is about to begin.)

• Les invités ont pris place autour de la grande table. (The guests took their seats around the large table.)
• La cérémonie prendra place dans le jardin. (The ceremony will take place in the garden.)
• Prenez place, je vous en prie. (Please, take a seat.)

1. The literal 'to take a chair' – prendre un siège/une chaise

The French phrases prendre un siège and prendre une chaise are the most direct, literal translations of 'to take a seat' or 'to take a chair.' This is a straightforward action verb phrase used to describe the physical act of occupying a seat.

This expression is typically used in a very literal sense, such as physically picking up a chair or finding an available seat in a public space like a theater or waiting room. It's more of a description of an action than a polite, idiomatic invitation to sit down.

It's important to distinguish between the two nouns. Une chaise specifically means 'a chair.' Un siège is a more general term for 'a seat,' which could be a chair, a stool, a place on a sofa, or even a seat in a vehicle.

While grammatically correct, you are more likely to hear Asseyez-vous (formal 'sit down') or Assieds-toi (informal 'sit down') when someone is inviting you to have a seat. Using prendre un siège can sound a bit commanding or impersonal in a social context.

💡 * Prenez une chaise et asseyez-vous.

• Il n'y a plus de place, je vais prendre un siège dans le couloir.
• Puis-je prendre cette chaise ? Elle est libre ?
• Le professeur a demandé aux étudiants de prendre un siège rapidement.

The casual 'to settle down' – se poser

Literally, the verb se poser means “to land” or “to place oneself.” However, in casual, modern French, it has taken on a very different meaning, similar to “to chill,” “to hang out,” or “to settle down.”

The primary informal meaning of se poser is to find a spot and relax there for a period. It implies a transition from being active or moving around to being stationary and calm. Think of it as finding your spot and settling in.

This expression is highly informal and common in everyday conversation, particularly among younger people. You wouldn't use it in a formal essay but you'd hear it constantly when making casual plans, like finding a spot in a park, a café, or at a friend's apartment.

In the context of dating and relationships, se poser takes on the direct meaning of “to settle down.” If someone says they are ready to se poser, it means they are looking for a serious, stable relationship rather than casual dating.

As a pronominal verb, se poser must always be used with a reflexive pronoun that matches the subject: je me pose, tu te poses, il/elle se pose, nous nous posons, vous vous posez, ils/elles se posent.

💡 * Après le travail, j'aime bien me poser sur mon canapé avec un livre. (After work, I like to settle down on my couch with a book.)

• On cherche un café sympa pour se poser une heure ou deux. (We're looking for a nice café to hang out for an hour or two.)
• Il a 30 ans, il veut trouver quelqu'un et se poser. (He's 30, he wants to find someone and settle down.)
• Viens, on se pose sur ce banc cinq minutes. (Come on, let's chill on this bench for five minutes.)

The specific 'to perch' – se percher

Literally, the verb se percher means 'to perch,' just as a bird does on a branch. This visual of being high up and detached from the ground is the key to understanding its modern slang meaning.

In contemporary French slang, se percher and its adjective form perché(e) describe a state of being disconnected from reality. It can mean someone is 'high,' 'stoned,' 'spaced-out,' or simply very eccentric and 'out there.' It's used to talk about a person, an idea, a movie, or anything that seems weird or trippy.

You will most often encounter the adjective form, perché (masculine) or perchée (feminine). Calling someone perché is a common way to describe them as quirky, eccentric, or having their head in the clouds. It's less confrontational than saying someone is crazy (fou).

This is an informal term, primarily used among younger people. Depending on the tone, it can be an affectionate jab at a friend's strange personality or a more direct comment on someone seeming under the influence. It perfectly captures a sense of being on a different wavelength from everyone else.

💡 * Ce film est complètement perché, je n'ai rien compris à l'histoire.

• J'aime bien ses idées, même si elles sont un peu perchées.
• Il a l'air perché, il n'a pas dit un mot de toute la soirée.
• Arrête de te percher et reviens sur terre, on a du travail à faire.

The official 'to sit' (in an assembly) – siéger

The verb siéger is the formal French term for 'to sit,' but it's not used for the everyday action of sitting on a chair. Instead, it specifically means to hold a seat or have an official position in a formal body, such as a parliament, a committee, a court, or a board of directors.

Think of siéger as meaning 'to serve as a member of' or 'to have one's seat' in an official capacity. It implies a role and responsibility, not just the physical act of sitting. For simply sitting down, you would use the verb s'asseoir.

Siéger is a regular -er verb but requires a spelling change to preserve the soft 'g' sound in certain conjugations. For example, in the present tense, it is je siège, tu sièges, il/elle siège, but nous siégeons and vous siégez.

💡 * Le parlement siège à Strasbourg une fois par mois. (The parliament sits in Strasbourg once a month.)

• Elle a été la première femme à siéger à la Cour suprême. (She was the first woman to sit on the Supreme Court.)
• Combien de membres siègent au conseil d'administration ? (How many members sit on the board of directors?)

The comfortable 'to get settled' – s'installer

The French reflexive verb s'installer is a versatile term that primarily means 'to get settled,' 'to move in,' or 'to install oneself.' It beautifully captures the feeling of making a space one's own, whether it's a new home or just a comfortable chair.

The most frequent use of s'installer is when talking about moving into a new home, apartment, or even a new city. It signifies more than just arriving; it implies the entire process of unpacking, arranging belongings, and creating a sense of permanence and comfort.

Beyond moving house, s'installer can describe getting comfortable anywhere. You can t'installer in a cafe with your laptop, or a doctor can s'installer (set up a practice) in a new town. It can also be used for abstract ideas, like when a routine or a silence 'sets in' (s'installe).

As a reflexive verb, s'installer must always be used with a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous, se) that matches the subject. For example, you would say, "Je m'installe" for "I am settling in," not "J'installe."

💡 * Ils viennent de s'installer à Paris.

• Installe-toi dans le fauteuil, je t'apporte un café.
• L'hiver s'installe doucement cette année.
• Nous nous sommes installés au premier rang pour voir le film.

1. The Informal 'To Park Oneself': Se Caler

First, let's look at the verb itself. Se caler is a reflexive verb. The non-reflexive verb, caler, means to wedge, to prop up, or to stall (like a car engine). So, literally, se caler means to wedge oneself or prop oneself into a position. This gives a hint about its informal meaning: getting into a stable, comfortable spot.

In everyday slang, se caler is the perfect verb for saying you're settling in, getting comfortable, or parking yourself somewhere. It implies finding a good spot and planning to stay there for a while, often to relax, watch a movie, or work. It's frequently followed by bien to emphasize the comfort: se caler bien.

You'll also hear se caler used in the context of food. In this case, it means to fill oneself up or to get stuffed. If you've had a big, satisfying meal, you can say je me suis bien calé to express that you are full and satisfied.

💡 * On s'est bien calés sur le canapé pour regarder le match. (We got ourselves nicely settled on the couch to watch the game.)

• J'ai trouvé un bon coin au café, je vais me caler ici pour travailler. (I found a good spot at the café, I'm going to park myself here to work.)
• Après cette raclette, je suis bien calé, je ne peux plus rien manger ! (After that raclette, I'm totally stuffed, I can't eat anything else!)
• Elle s'est calée contre le mur pour lire son livre tranquillement. (She propped herself against the wall to read her book peacefully.)

Are there other ways to say 'to sit' in French?

Are there other ways to say “to sit” in French?

Our list features the most crucial verbs for 'to sit' in French, primarily focusing on s'asseoir. But like any rich language, French has more nuanced and specific terms, from slang to literary expressions you might encounter.

For more specific contexts, you can do an online search for terms like 'comment dire 'to perch' en français' or look up synonyms for s'asseoir in a French dictionary.

You'll likely find some interesting new verbs this way. Before you use them, always check their definition and try to see them used in context to understand their specific connotation and formality.

As you read, watch, and listen to French content, pay attention to how people sit and the language used to describe it. You’ll naturally absorb the subtle differences between perching on a stool, slumping in a chair, or settling onto a sofa.

And if you're looking for more vocabulary related to sitting—like types of chairs or different postures—the WordReference forum for s'asseoir is a great place to see how native speakers discuss these nuances.

I hope this guide has helped you get a better seat at the table of French conversation. To finish, here's a popular French saying that perfectly captures the simple pleasure of taking a seat: « Pour être heureux, il faut s'asseoir sur un banc, au soleil. » (To be happy, one must sit on a bench in the sun.)