🙏🪑

How to Say ‘Please have a seat.’ in German

Bitte setzen Sie sich.

BIT-uh ZET-sen zee zikh

[BIT-uh ZET-sen zee zikh]

💬 Usage Tip: German literally says "seat yourself", so sich can't be dropped. With a friend it becomes setz dich.

Phrase Breakdown

Bitte

[BIT-uh]

please

A polite word used in requests or instructions.

Example

Bitte bleiben Sie noch hier.

Please stay here a little longer.

setzen Sie sich.

ZET-sen zee zikh

sit down (formal)

A reflexive verb, 'sich setzen'. The 's' at the start sounds like a 'z': ZET-sen zee zikh.

Example

Setzen Sie sich hier hin.

Sit down here.

Words in this phrase

setzen

[ZET-sen]

sit down

From sich setzen, meaning to sit down or take a seat.

Example

Dort hinten setzen wir uns besser hin.

We should sit down back there instead.

Sie

[zee]

you (formal)

Formal 'you,' used politely with patients in German.

Example

Wir sind für Sie da.

We are there for you.

sich

[zikh]

yourself

A reflexive pronoun meaning 'yourself' or 'oneself.'

Example

Wie sehen Sie sich in der Zukunft?

How do you see yourself in the future?

Guides for German learners

Duolingo vs Pimsleur: Tapping on a Screen or Talking Out Loud?Duolingo vs Pimsleur: five minutes of tapping versus thirty minutes of speaking. What each is good at, what each costs, and which to pick for your goal.

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