How to Conjugate the Spanish Verb Sentarse (2023)

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Sentarse Conjugation, Usage, and Examples

How to Conjugate the Spanish Verb Sentarse (1)

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    Gerald Erichsen

    Gerald Erichsen

    Spanish Language Expert

    • B.A., Seattle Pacific University

    Gerald Erichsen is a Spanish language expert who has created Spanish lessons for ThoughtCo since 1998.

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    Updated on February 26, 2020

    Sentarse is a common reflexive verb that typically means to sit down or to take a seat.Below you will find the conjugations for all the simple tenses ofsentarse—present and past in the indicative and subjunctive moods, the conditional, the future, and the imperative. Also listed are the present and past participles, which are used for making the compound tenses.

    Sentarse: Reflexive Verb

    Sentarse comes from the verb sentar, which usually means to sit. Although both can be translated as "to sit," the difference between the two is that the reflexive form sentarse refers to the act of getting into a seated position, while sentar refers to being in a seated position. One way of remembering the difference is to think of sentarse as literally meaning "to seat oneself," since the -se pronoun in reflexive verbs is usually the equivalent of the English "-self."

    Sentarse Conjugation

    With two exceptions noted below in the imperative mood, sentarse is formed by using the same conjugation assentir and adding the appropriate reflexive pronoun. Sentar in turn is conjugated like most other -ar verbs except that the e in the stem sent- becomes ie when stressed. Dozens of other -ar verbs follow this pattern; the most common of them include cerrar (to close), gobernar (to govern), and pensar (to think).

    Be aware that the conjugations of sentar and sentir, usually meaning "to feel," overlap in a few instances. For example, siento can mean either "I sit" or "I feel." Nearly all the time, context will make clear which verb is meant.

    Present Indicative Tense of Sentarse

    Yome sientoI sit downYo me siento en la silla.
    te sientasYou sit downTú te sientas con cuidado.
    Usted/él/ellase sientaYou/he/she sits downElla se sienta aquí.
    Nosotrosnos sentamosWe sit downNosotros nos sentamos en el sofá.
    Vosotrosos sentáisYou sit downVosotros os sentáis para comer.
    Ustedes/ellas/ellasse sientanYou/they sit downEllas se sientan en la cocina.

    Sentarse Preterite

    Generally, the preterite is the simple past tense that is used for actions that took place at a specific time. It is usually the equivalent of the English simple past tense typically ending in "-ed" (although "sit" is an irregular verb and doesn't follow that pattern).

    Yome sentéI sat downYo me senté en la silla.
    te sentasteYou sat downTú te sentaste con cuidado.
    Usted/él/ellase sentóYou/he/she sat downElla se sentó aquí.
    Nosotrosnos sentamosWe sat downNosotros nos sentamos en el sofá.
    Vosotrosos sentasteisYou sat downVosotros os sentasteis para comer.
    Ustedes/ellas/ellasse sentaronYou/they sat downEllas se sentaron en la cocina.

    Sentarse Future Tense

    In addition to being used for talking about future actions, the Spanish future tense, as in English, can be used for extremely emphatic commands. Thus "¡Te sentarás!" can be the equivalent of "You will sit down!" as a command.

    Yome sentaréI will sit downYo me sentaré en la silla.
    te sentarásYou will sit downTú te sentarás con cuidado.
    Usted/él/ellase sentaráYou/he/she will sit downElla se sentará aquí.
    Nosotrosnos sentaremosWe will sit downNosotros nos sentaremos en el sofá.
    Vosotrosos sentaréisYou will sit downVosotros os sentaréis para comer.
    Ustedes/ellas/ellasse sentaránYou/they will sit downEllas se sentarán en la cocina.

    Periphrastic Future of Sentarse

    The periphrastic future of sentarse and other reflexive verbs can be formed in two ways. The more common, shown below, is to attach the reflexive pronoun to the infinitive. The pronoun can also be placed before the conjugated form of ir. Thus "me voy a sentar" and "voy a sentarme" are interchangeable.

    Yovoy a sentarmeI am going to sit downYo voy a sentarme en la silla.
    vas a sentarteYou are going to sit downTú vas a sentarte con cuidado.
    Usted/él/ellava a sentarseYou/he/she is going to sit downElla va a sentarse aquí.
    Nosotrosvamos a sentarnosWe are going to sit downNosotros vamos a sentarnos en el sofá.
    Vosotrosvais a sentarosYou are going to sit downVosotros vais a sentaros para comer.
    Ustedes/ellas/ellasvan a sentarseYou/they are going to sit downEllas van a sentarse en la cocina.

    Present Progressive/Gerund Form of Sentarse

    The gerund of reflexive verbs can be formed in two ways. The more common way, shown here, is to attach the appropriate pronoun to the gerund. The pronoun can also come before estar or the other verb that comes before the gerund. Thus both "estás sentándote" and "te estás sentando" can be used for "you are sitting down."

    Gerund ofSentarse:sentándose

    Is sitting down ->Ella está sentándose aquí.

    Past Participle of Sentarse

    When sentarse and other reflexive pronouns are used with forms of haber, the reflexive pronoun comes before haber.

    Participle ofSentarse:se ha sentado

    Has sat down ->Ella se ha sentado aquí.

    Imperfect Indicative Form of Sentarse

    The imperfect is a type of past tense. It doesn't have a direct English equivalent, although it is similar in meaning to expressions such as "was sitting" and "used to sit."

    Yome sentabaI was sitting downYo me sentaba en la silla.
    te sentabasYou were sitting downTú te sentabas con cuidado.
    Usted/él/ellase sentabaYou/he/she was sitting downElla se sentaba aquí.
    Nosotrosnos sentábamosWe were sitting downNosotros nos sentábamos en el sofá.
    Vosotrosos sentabaisYou were sitting downVosotros os sentabais para comer.
    Ustedes/ellas/ellasse sentabanYou/they were sitting downEllas se sentaban en la cocina.

    Conditional Form of Sentarse

    Theconditionalformis used to express probability, wonder, or conjecture. It is usually translatedinEnglish as would, could, or must have, followed by the verb.

    Yome sentaríaI would sit downYo me sentaría en la silla si no estuviera rota.
    te sentaríasYou would sit downTú te sentarías con cuidado si fuera importante.
    Usted/él/ellase sentaríaYou/he/she would sit downElla se sentaría aquí si hiciera sol.
    Nosotrosnos sentaríamosWe would sit downNosotros nos sentaríamos en el sofá si fuera barato.
    Vosotrosos sentaríaisYou would sit downVosotros os sentaríais para comer si hubiera comida.
    Ustedes/ellas/ellasse sentaríanYou/they would sit downEllas se sentarían en la cocina si hubiera sillas.

    Present Subjunctive of Sentarse

    Que yome sienteThat I sit downCristina prefiere que yo me siente en la silla.
    Que túte sientesThat you sit downSusana quiere que tú te sientes con cuidado.
    Que usted/él/ellase sienteThat you/he/she sit downArturo espera que ella se siente aquí.
    Que nosotrosnos sentemosThat we sit downValentina quiere que nosotros nos sentemos juntos.
    Que vosotrosos sentéisThat you sit downPablo exige que vosotros os sentéis para comer.
    Que ustedes/ellas/ellasse sientenThat you/they sit downMateo desea que ellas se sienten en la cocina.

    Imperfect Subjunctive Forms of Sentarse

    There is usually no difference in meaning between the two forms of the imperfect subjunctive. The first one shown below is used more often and is less formal.

    Option 1

    Que yome sentaraThat I sat downCristina prefería que me sentara en la silla.
    Que túte sentarasThat you sat downSusana quería que tú te sentaras con cuidado.
    Que usted/él/ellase sentaraThat you/he/she sat downArturo esperaba que ella se sentara aquí.
    Que nosotrosnos sentáramosThat we sat downValentina quería que nosotros nos sentáramos en el sofá.
    Que vosotrosos sentaraisThat you sat downPablo exigía que vosotros os sentarais para comer.
    Que ustedes/ellas/ellasse sentaranThat you/they sat downMateo deseaba que ellas se sentaran en la cocina.

    Option 2

    Que yome sentaseThat I sat downCristina prefería que me sentase en la silla.
    Que túte sentasesThat you sat downSusana quería que tú te sentases con cuidado.
    Que usted/él/ellase sentaseThat you/he/she sat downArturo esperaba que ella se sentase aquí.
    Que nosotrosnos sentásemosThat we sat downValentina quería que nosotros nos sentásemos en el sofá.
    Que vosotrosos sentaseisThat you sat downPablo exigía que vosotros os sentaseis para comer.
    Que ustedes/ellas/ellasse sentasenThat you/they sat downMateo deseaba que ellas se sentasen en la cocina.

    Imperative Forms of Sentarse

    In the positive imperative form of reflexive verbs, the final letter of the base verb is dropped in the "we" and "plural you" forms before the pronoun is attached. Thus nos is added to sentemo (the accent mark is added to the conjugated form to maintain the correct stress). And the -d is dropped from sentad to avoid confusion with the past participle.

    Positive Command

    siéntateSit down!¡Siéntate con cuidado!
    UstedsiénteseSit down!¡Siéntese aquí!
    NosotrossentémonosLet's sit down!¡Sentémonos en el sofá!
    VosotrossentaosSit down!¡Sentaos para comer!
    UstedessiéntenseSit down!¡Siéntense en la cocina!

    Negative Command

    No te sientesDon't sit down!¡No te sientes con cuidado!
    UstedNo se sienteDon't sit down!¡No se siente aquí!
    NosotrosNo nos sentemosLet's not sit down!¡No nos sentemos en el sofá!
    VosotrosNo os sentéisDon't sit down!¡No os sentéis para comer!
    UstedesNo se sienten

    Don't sit down!

    ¡No se sienten en la cocina!

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    Your Citation

    Erichsen, Gerald. "Spanish Verb Sentarse Conjugation." ThoughtCo, Aug. 27, 2020, thoughtco.com/sentarse-conjugation-in-spanish-4174202.Erichsen, Gerald. (2020, August 27). Spanish Verb Sentarse Conjugation. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/sentarse-conjugation-in-spanish-4174202Erichsen, Gerald. "Spanish Verb Sentarse Conjugation." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/sentarse-conjugation-in-spanish-4174202 (accessed March 5, 2023).

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    FAQs

    What's the difference between Sentar and Sentarse? ›

    “Sentar” is most often seen in its reflexive form “sentarse” which means “to sit down”. It is reflexive because it is something we usually do to ourselves, that is, we sit “ourselves” down. However, if you were ever to “seat” or even to “sit” another person, then you would need the non-reflexive “sentar”.

    What is the preterite form of Sentarse? ›

    Preterite of Sentarse
    Subject PronounsSentarse Conjugation: PreteriteTranslation
    yome sentéI sat down
    te sentasteyou sat down
    él/ella/ustedse sentóhe/she/you (formal) sat down
    nosotros/nosotrasnos sentamoswe sat down
    2 more rows

    What are the 5 present tense conjugations for the verb compartir? ›

    Compartir Conjugation: Present Tense
    yocomparto
    compartes
    él/ellacomparte
    nosotros/ascompartimos
    vosotros/ascompartís
    1 more row

    What is an example of Sentarse? ›

    We use sentarse to say "to sit" but when the person sits somewhere, for example: I always sit at the back -> Yo siempre me siento detrás. But you can also use "sentar" (non-reflexive) in these contexts: 1.

    Is it Sentarse or Siéntese? ›

    Using “Sentarse” (“To Sit”)

    “Siéntate” (see-EN-ta-tay): “Sit!” (informal, singular) “Siéntate” is the informal command form of this verb, used when speaking to a single person (not a group of people).

    What is the opposite of Sentarse? ›

    Antonyms: alzarse, erguirse, levantarse.

    Is Sentar preterite or imperfect? ›

    Using the chart below you can learn how to conjugate the Spanish verb sentar in Preterite tense.

    What are the preterite conjugations? ›

    The Spanish preterite tense is one of five forms used to describe actions or events that occurred in the past.
    ...
    The preterite is used to describe actions which have been completed.
    PersonVerbs ending in -arVerbs ending in -er and -ir
    yo
    -aste-iste
    él, ella, usted-ió
    nosotros-amos-imos
    2 more rows

    How do you conjugate preterite form? ›

    How to conjugate the preterite tense. To conjugate a regular verb, you simply: drop the infinitive ending, –ar, –er or –ir. add the preterite ending, according to who's performing the action.

    What are the 3 uses of ser? ›

    The following are some of the most common uses for ser:
    • To identify something or someone.
    • To describe fundamental qualities and characteristics.
    • To talk about nationality or place of origin.
    • To speak about professions or occupations.
    • To share a religious or political affiliation.
    • To tell the hour, day, or date.
    Oct 29, 2021

    What are 10 sentences using ser? ›

    Read and listen to these sentences with ser:
    • Yo soy rubia. I am blonde.
    • Tú eres médico. You are a doctor.
    • Él es alto. He is tall.
    • Nosotros somos hermanos. We are brothers.
    • Mis hermanos son irlandeses.My brothers are Irish.
    • Laura y Sarah son francesas. Laura and Sarah are French.
    • Ustedes son enfermeros. You are nurses.
    Mar 2, 2023

    What are the 6 conjugations? ›

    To be verb conjugation

    In English, we have six different persons: first person singular (I), second person singular (you), third person singular (he/she/it/one), first person plural (we), second person plural (you), and third person plural (they).

    What are the 7 verb tenses in Spanish? ›

    The following are the simple tenses and their uses:
    • Present (presente)
    • Imperfect (pretérito imperfecto)
    • Preterite (pretérito indefinido)
    • Future (futuro simple or futuro imperfecto)
    • Simple conditional (condicional simple or pospretérito)
    • Present perfect (pretérito perfecto)

    What is the difference between sentir and sentar in Spanish? ›

    Sentir. In the infinitive form, sentar (to sit) and sentir (to feel) are easy to tell apart. The confusion comes when they're conjugated. Most notably, siento can mean either "I sit" or "I feel." Also, the subjunctive forms of one verb are often the indicative forms of the other.

    What are verbs like sentir? ›

    Similar verbs to sentir include: arrepentirse, lamentar, sentirse.

    What is the difference between sentir and sentirse? ›

    Both sentir and sentirse can be used to mean “to feel” in Spanish, but there is a subtle, key difference between these two verbs. When we describe “what” we feel, we use the verb sentir. When we'd like to describe “how” we feel, on the other hand, we use the reflexive verb sentirse.

    What's the opposite of Derecho? ›

    Opposites In Spanish: Spanish Vocabulary Words
    SpanishEnglishEnglish (Opposite)
    durohardno
    arriba, derechoupdown
    subirto go upto go down
    encima deon top ofbeneath
    98 more rows

    What is the opposite of pasarlo bien? ›

    The phrase pasarlo bien means to have a good time. To say to have a bad time, use pasarlo mal.

    What is the opposite of mucho? ›

    Opposite of innumerable or incalculable. countable. enumerable. few. limited.

    What is the stem change for sentir? ›

    Sentir is an irregular 'e:ie' stem-changing verb. This means we need to replace the first 'e' with an 'ie' in some of the conjugations. For the reflexive form sentirse, we simply need to add the reflexive pronouns (me, te, se, nos, se) to the conjugations of sentir.

    What is the infinitive form of sentir? ›

    The infinitive form of the verb is sentir, sentirse. The past participle of sentirse is sentido. The gerund form of sentirse is sintiendo, sintiéndose.

    What are the 5 preterite tense endings? ›

    How do you form the preterite of regular verbs in Spanish? - Easy Learning Grammar Spanish. To form the preterite of any regular -ar verb, you take off the -ar ending to form the stem, and add the endings: -é, -aste, -ó, -amos, -asteis, -aron.

    What are the 4 irregular verbs in preterite? ›

    There are just five highly irregular Spanish that you'll need to memorize: ser (to be), ir (to go), ver (to see), dar (to give), and haber (to have – auxiliary). The good news is that ser and ir have identical conjugation, so you'll just need to learn four.

    What is the difference between past tense and preterite? ›

    Preterite vs Imperfect Conjugation Rules

    Preterite and Imperfect tenses are both related to the past, but they function differently. The preterite tells you precisely when something happened in the past, while the imperfect tells you in general terms when an action took place with no definite ending.

    What are the rules for preterite and imperfect? ›

    Generally speaking, the preterite is used for actions in the past that are seen as completed, while the imperfect tense is used for past actions that did not have a definite beginning or a definite end.

    What is an example of a preterite tense verb? ›

    The preterite tense is used to indicate a single, completed action that took place at a specific point in time. For example: Armando me llamó a las nueve. Armando called me at nine o'clock.

    What is Spanish past simple tense? ›

    However, it's important to note that there is no pasado simple in Spanish. Instead, two different tenses exist in Spanish that translate to the simple past in English: el pretérito and el imperfecto. El pretérito is for actions that took place one time.

    How do I conjugate in the present tense? ›

    The conjugation of English verbs in the simple present is relatively simple. We add an -s/-es to verbs in the third person singular (he/she/it), otherwise the verb does not change. In positive sentences, we use the verb in its present form. In negative sentences and questions, we use the auxiliary verb do.

    What are the present tense conjugations in Spanish? ›

    To conjugate or form the present tense in Spanish you remove the ending (-ar, -er, -ir) and add a new ending to the stem of the verb. The present endings in Spanish match the subject and verb type (-ar, -er, -ir). The stem is what is left after you remove the -ar, -er, -ir ending.

    How do you conjugate French words in the present tense? ›

    There are three basic conjugations in the present tense, one for verbs whose infinitives end in -er (e.g., regarder, travailler), one for those ending in -re (e.g., répondre, entendre), and one for those ending in -ir (e.g., finir, choisir). In each case the stem is formed by dropping off the infinitive ending.

    How do I conjugate a verb? ›

    To conjugate a verb, you add unique suffixes to its base verb form. The right suffix depends on the person in a sentence you refer to, who is also known as the subject of the sentence.

    What are the 3 conjugations of the verb to be in simple present? ›

    The present simple of the verb be has three forms: I am. He/She/It is. We/You/They are.

    What are the 10 forms of ser? ›

    Conjugate ser in the tense given.
    • Usted – future.
    • Ellas – past simple.
    • Tú – imperative, negative.
    • Nosotros – present simple.
    • Yo – conditional.
    • Él – past subjunctive.
    • Ustedes – present subjunctive.
    • Ella – imperfect.
    Jan 18, 2023

    What are the conjugations of ser and estar? ›

    When do you use 'ser' and 'estar'? - Easy Learning Grammar Spanish
    Pronounserestar
    (él/ella/usted)esestá
    (nosotros/nosotras)somosestamos
    (vosotros/vosotras)soisestáis
    (elllos/ellas/ustedes)sonestán
    2 more rows

    What is the rule for ser and estar in Spanish? ›

    Simply put, ser is used to talk about permanent states, while estar is used to talk about temporary conditions. In English, you would use the verb “to be” for both, but in Spanish they have somewhat different meanings.

    What are the 5 verb conjugations? ›

    All English verbs (except to be) have five forms: base, past tense, past participle, present participle, and third-person singular.

    What are the 7 simple Spanish tenses? ›

    The following are the simple tenses and their uses:
    • Present (presente)
    • Imperfect (pretérito imperfecto)
    • Preterite (pretérito indefinido)
    • Future (futuro simple or futuro imperfecto)
    • Simple conditional (condicional simple or pospretérito)
    • Present perfect (pretérito perfecto)

    How do you use ER verbs in Spanish? ›

    Simply put, to conjugate an -er verb, drop the -er and add the appropriate ending according to the person and tense. For example, in the present tense you add -o, -es, -e, -emos, -éis, or -en to the remaining stem after removing -er.

    What is the conjugation of regular verbs? ›

    How do you conjugate a regular verb? Regular verbs can be conjugated to form the simple past form and the past participle forms. A regular verb can be made simple past by, adding an 'ed' to the end of the base form of the regular verb and doubling the last consonant.

    What are the er verb conjugations? ›

    Verbs with infinitives ending in -er form a second group of regular verbs in Spanish, often called second conjugation verbs. To conjugate these verbs in the present tense, drop the -er from the infinitive and add the second conjugation present tense endings: -o, -es, -e, -emos, -en.

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