How do you say "to sit" in Japanese?

座る

suwaru

Verb Kanji

In Japanese, "to sit" is 座る (suwaru).

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Pronunciation

座る is written using kanji. Romanised as suwaru, it sounds roughly like "soo-wah-roo" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

The kanji 座 combines the person radical with a phonetic suggesting settling into a place, depicting the posture of sitting.

Example sentence

彼は上手に座ります。

Kare wa jouzu ni suwarimasu.

He to sits well.

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How to remember 座る

A person settling down onto a place. Picture someone bending their knees and lowering onto a chair or ground.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more Japanese verbs.

Questions about 座る

How do you pronounce 座る?

座る is romanised as suwaru. Say it roughly like "soo-wah-roo" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 座る formal or casual?

座る is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is 座る written in Japanese?

座る is written using kanji. The kanji 座 combines the person radical with a phonetic suggesting settling into a place, depicting the posture of sitting..

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

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"To sit" in other languages

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