setzen or sitzen?

Q: setzen or sitzen?

The same pattern as stellen and stehen: setzen is the action with the accusative (to sit down), sitzen the state with the dative (to be seated). Setzen nearly always needs an object, often the reflexive pronoun sich.

The same pattern as stellen and stehen: setzen is the action with the accusative (to sit down), sitzen the state with the dative (to be seated). Setzen nearly always needs an object, often the reflexive pronoun sich.

sich setzen

The downward movement onto a seat. Ask wohin, answer in the accusative. Regular: setzte, gesetzt.

Setz dich bitte auf den Stuhl.Please sit down on the chair.

sitzen

The resulting state: already being on a seat. Ask wo, answer in the dative. Irregular: saß, hat gesessen.

Ich sitze auf dem Stuhl.I am sitting on the chair.

The mistake

Bitte sitzen Sie sich.

Bitte setzen Sie sich.

The polite invitation refers to the movement, so setzen. Sitzen cannot be reflexive - you do not sit yourself.

Rule of thumb

If you move, you take setzen; if you are already there, you sitzen. The same rule covers stellen and stehen as well as legen and liegen.

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