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Conjugation Chart

“Sentarse” (to sit down) in the Preterite (Past) Tense

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Understanding the Preterite (Past) Tense of “Sentarse”

The preterite of sentarse is used to express the specific moment of sitting down in the past. For example, you might say “I sat down at my desk at 9 AM,” indicating the exact time when you took your seat.

This is a regular -ar reflexive verb that requires the appropriate reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nos) before the conjugated form. The verb follows standard -ar preterite endings after adding the reflexive pronoun.

How to Use Sentarse in the Preterite (Past) Tense

The Preterite of sentarse describes the completed action of sitting down.

Taking a Seat: Describes the specific moment of sitting down, for example me senté en la primera fila (I sat in the first row).

Getting Settled: Used for getting settled in a location, for example nos sentamos a comer (we sat down to eat).

Real Life Examples of Sentarse in the Preterite (Past) Tense

Me senté en la primera fila. (I sat in the first row.)

¿Por qué te sentaste tan lejos? (Why did you sit so far away?)

Ella se sentó junto a la ventana. (She sat next to the window.)

Nos sentamos a comer juntos. (We sat down to eat together.)

Los estudiantes se sentaron en silencio. (The students sat down quietly.)

Me senté a descansar un momento. (I sat down to rest for a moment.)

¿Dónde te sentaste durante la conferencia? (Where did you sit during the conference?)

El profesor se sentó detrás del escritorio. (The teacher sat behind the desk.)

Nos sentamos en la terraza del café. (We sat on the café terrace.)

Los invitados se sentaron alrededor de la mesa. (The guests sat around the table.)

Me senté en el banco del parque. (I sat on the park bench.)

¿Te sentaste cerca de la salida? (Did you sit near the exit?)

El niño se sentó en el suelo. (The child sat on the floor.)

Nos sentamos bajo un árbol. (We sat under a tree.)

Los espectadores se sentaron en sus lugares. (The spectators sat in their places.)

Conjugation Chart with English Translations

Conjugations of Sentarse (to sit down) in the Preterite (Past) Tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Preterite tense is also known as the Simple Past, Past Simple, Definite Past, Absolute Past, or Past Tense Indicative in English, and as Pretérito Perfecto Simple, Pretérito Indefinido, Pretérito Simple, Pasado Simple, or Pretérito de Indicativo in Spanish.