German

Noun

Sitzen m

1. dative plural of Sitz

German

Verb

sitzen ‎(class 5 strong, third-person singular simple present sitzt, past tense saß, past participle gesessen, past subjunctive säße, auxiliary haben or sein)

1. (intransitive) to sit; to perch
2. (intransitive) to stay (in one place); to remain; to be (in a particular place or state)
3. (intransitive, of clothing) to fit
4. (intransitive, in certain constructions, e.g. with voller) to be

   Der Schrank sitzt voller Motten. — “The cupboard is full of moths.”

5. (intransitive, colloquial) to do time; to spend time in jail
6. (intransitive, colloquial, of a strike, a comment, etc.) to hit home; to have a significant effect

Usage notes

The most frequent auxiliary with sitzen is haben: Ich habe gesessen. In northern and central Germany, only this form is used. In southern Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, sein is common in the vernacular and also, alternatively, in standard usage: Ich bin gesessen.

Conjugation

Derived terms

• sitzenbleiben
• sitzenlassen
• Sitzgelegenheit
• Sitzkrieg m
• Sitzplatz

Related terms

• Sitz
• Sitzung