sentarte
sen-TAR-teh
Quick Reference
📝 In Action
Necesitas sentarte un rato.
A1You need to sit down for a while.
Puedes sentarte donde quieras.
A2You can sit wherever you want.
Si vas a esperar, te recomiendo sentarte.
B1If you are going to wait, I recommend you sit down.
💡 Grammar Points
The 'te' at the end
The 'te' means the action of sitting is aimed directly at tú (you, informal). We attach the pronoun to the end of the infinitive when it follows another verb, like 'deber' (should) or 'poder' (can).
Reflexive vs. Non-Reflexive
The base verb is sentar (to seat someone else). When you add the pronoun ('sentarse'), it becomes to seat oneself, or simply to sit down. You must use the reflexive form to talk about sitting yourself.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Confusing 'sentar' and 'sentir'
Mistake: "Voy a sentirme."
Correction: Voy a sentarme. ('Sentir' means 'to feel', 'sentar' means 'to sit'. They look similar but have different meanings.)
Forgetting the stem change
Mistake: "Yo sento"
Correction: Yo siento. (In the present tense, the 'e' changes to 'ie' for most forms, except 'nosotros' and 'vosotros'.)
⭐ Usage Tips
Easy Pronoun Placement
When you have two verbs (e.g., 'quiero sentarme'), you can put the 'te' either attached to the end of the second verb (sentarte) OR before the first verb (te quiero sentar). Both are correct!
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: sentarte
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses the equivalent of 'sentarte' in a formal context (usted)?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'sentarte' have the 'te' attached to the end?
This is a common feature in Spanish! When the verb 'to sit down' (*sentarse*) follows another conjugated verb (like 'want' or 'need'), we attach the reflexive pronoun ('te' for *tú*) directly to the end of the infinitive. It's just a rule for reflexive verbs in this position.
Is 'sentarte' a command?
No, 'sentarte' is the infinitive form, meaning 'to sit down (you)'. The command form (imperative) for 'tú' is *siéntate* (Sit down!).