1.
to move your body onto a seat
“Please sit down.”
“He sat down on the sofa.”
“Sit down and relax.”
Synonyms: to take a seat, to be seated
Phrasal verb
What does sit down mean?
Meaning: to move your body onto a seat
B1
This page for:
Quick answer
Sit down = to move your body onto a seat (a chair, a sofa). It has no direct object. Please sit down = please take a seat. The opposite is stand up (to get onto your feet).
Meanings of the phrasal verb
2.
to meet and talk seriously (figurative)
figurative“We need to sit down and talk.”
Word order
Intransitive (no object)
This phrasal verb does not take an object.
Forms
- Present Simple:
- sit down
- Past Simple:
- sat down
- Past participle:
- sat down
- -ing form:
- sitting down
Common mistakes to avoid
Irregular verb: sat (not sitted)
Sit is irregular: sit → sat → sat. In the Past Simple, say I sat down. Never I sitted down ❌.
Sit down is not the same as sit
Sit can describe a state (to be on a seat) or an action, so it is less clear. Sit down is clearly the action of moving onto a seat. Have a seat is a polite way to ask someone to sit down.
No direct object
Sit down has no direct object. Do not say I sit down the chair ❌. To name the seat, add on: I sit down ON the chair ✓.
Practice quiz
Question 1 / 3The Big Challenge question bank
Related pages: sit down
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
What's next?
Sit down: you understand the rule. Now practise it.
Understanding a rule is only the first step. On PLAY, you use it in real situations, at your own pace, until it becomes automatic.
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For teachersSit down: a ready-to-use lesson sequence
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English contestSit down: often tested in the English contest
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Frequently asked questions
What does sit down mean?+
Sit down means to move onto a seat. Please sit down = please take a seat. It is a phrasal verb with no direct object.
Is sit down separable?+
No. It has no direct object, so you cannot separate it. You can add an adverb: sit down quickly. Or on + a place: sit down on the chair.
What is the past simple of sit down?+
Sat down. Sit is irregular: sit → sat → sat. He sat down at 8 p.m. = he took a seat at 8 p.m.
What is the difference between sit down and have a seat?+
Sit down is direct (it can sound a bit informal, or even like an order). Have a seat is polite and more formal. With a visitor or at work, say have a seat. With friends, sit down is fine.
What is a sit-down meeting?+
A sit-down meeting is a real, serious meeting: people sit down together to talk. The opposite is a quick chat. This is a figurative use of the phrasal verb.
Related phrasal verbs
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/phrasal-verbs/sit-down
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.