sätet

Sätet is a Swedish noun in its definite form, meaning “the seat.” It is derived from the base noun säte and is used to refer to a physical seat, a chair, or more figuratively to the place where something is located or based.

In terms of meaning, sätet can denote the literal seat one sits on, but it is also widely used to express the idea of a center or base of operation. Common figurative uses include the seat of government, the administrative center of an organization, or the place that serves as home base for a person or group. In legal and administrative language, the term can appear in contexts describing the official or registered seat of a company or institution.

Etymologically, sätet traces to the older form säte, with roots in Old Norse sæti and related Germanic origins. The word’s form changes to indicate definiteness in Swedish, yielding sätet for “the seat.” The term thus covers both tangible and abstract senses of seating and location, depending on context.

Usage notes: sätet is most common in formal or written Swedish when a precise notion of location or base is intended. It can be contrasted with more specific terms for chairs or furniture, while retaining its broader sense of a place of residence or operation. As a geographic or institutional term, it may appear in discussions of governance, administration, or organizational geography.

See also: säte, seat (in English), seat of government.