other

estar sentado

sit

Definition & meaning

The phrase estar sentado means "to be seated" or "to be sitting." It refers to the physical state or posture of a person or animal that has lowered their body so that their weight is supported by their buttocks and upper thighs, typically on a chair, bench, or surface.

It is used to describe the current state of someone who has already performed the action of sitting down (as opposed to the action of sitting itself, which would be sentarse).

Grammar & Word origin

The phrase consists of two parts:

Estar: An auxiliary verb used to indicate a state or condition (temporary).
Sentado: The past participle of the verb sentar (to seat), acting here as an adjective to describe the state of the subject. Because it functions as an adjective, it must agree in gender and number with the subject (e.g., ella está sentada, ellos están sentados).

The verb sentar comes from the Latin word sedere, which means "to sit."