zitten

Zitten is a Dutch verb with core meanings related to the act of being seated or occupying a surface. The primary sense is physical: to sit on a chair or bench. It also covers being located somewhere, as in De winkel zit op de hoek (The shop is on the corner), and it features many idiomatic uses that express states or situations, such as Het zit me tegen (things are not going well for me).

Conjugation and forms: The infinitive is zitten. In the present tense: ik zit, jij zit, hij/zij/het zit, wij zitten, jullie zitten, zij zitten. The imperfect (past) tense has forms: ik zat, jij zat, hij zat, wij zaten, jullie zaten, zij zaten. The past participle is gezeten, and the perfect tense typically uses the auxiliary hebben: ik heb gezeten.

Usage and constructions: Zitten is intransitive and is usually followed by prepositional phrases to indicate location (zitten in de klas, zitten op een stoel). The construction zitten te + infinitive expresses ongoing action: ik zit te wachten (I am waiting). Several idioms are common: ergens in zitten can mean to be involved in or to have potential within something (Er zit wat moois in dat plan). Iemand laten zitten means to stand someone up or let someone down. Het zit tegen and vergelijkbare uitdrukkingen convey unfavorable circumstances or probability (Het zit er dik in dat het gaat regenen; it’s very likely it will rain).

Etymology and relation: Zitten is cognate with German sitzen and English sit; it descends from a common Proto-Germanic root. It is one of the most frequent and versatile verbs in Dutch, serving literal, locational, and wide-ranging figurative uses.