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A1 verb 3 Min. Lesezeit

istua

Jetzt üben Beispiele Notizen & Tipps

§ Similar words and when to use this one vs alternatives

The verb istua means 'to sit' in Finnish. It's pretty straightforward, but like in English, there are nuances and other words that can describe different ways of sitting or being in a seated position. Let's look at some of these and clarify when to use istua versus other options.

First, the basic use of istua is for the act of sitting down or being in a seated position. It's the most common and versatile word for this action.

Minä istun tuolilla.

"I sit on the chair." or "I am sitting on the chair."

Lapset istuivat lattialla.

"The children sat on the floor."

§ Other words to consider

DEFINITION: **Asentua:** to settle into a position, to position oneself.

While not directly meaning 'to sit', asentua implies taking up a position, which could be a seated one. It's more about the deliberate act of getting into a certain posture.

Hän asettui mukavasti sohvalle.

"He settled comfortably on the sofa." (Here, 'settled' implies sitting down in a relaxed way).

DEFINITION: **Penkki:** a bench.

This is a noun, not a verb, but it's relevant to 'sitting'. You would istua *on* a penkki.

Me istuimme puiston penkillä.

"We sat on the park bench."

DEFINITION: **Laskeutua:** to descend, to land, to come down.

While primarily meaning 'to descend' or 'to land' (like an airplane), laskeutua can also be used in a figurative sense of 'settling down' or 'alighting', which can sometimes imply sitting, especially when talking about birds, for example.

Lintu laskeutui oksalle.

"The bird landed/alighted on the branch." (It then sits there.)

§ Key takeaway for 'istua'

Stick with istua for the most common and direct translation of 'to sit' or 'to be sitting'. It's your go-to verb. The other words offer more specific contexts or are nouns, but they don't replace the core meaning of istua.

In summary:

Use istua for the general act of sitting or being in a seated position.
Consider asettua if you want to emphasize the act of settling into a comfortable position.
Remember that penkki is the object you sit on, not the action.
Laskeutua has broader meanings and is not typically used for a person sitting down, unless in a very poetic or specific context of 'settling'.

Master istua first, and then you can gradually introduce these other words to add more flavor to your Finnish. Don't overthink it at the beginning. If you mean 'to sit', use istua.

Wichtige Grammatik

The infinitive form of 'istua' is 'istua'. This is the basic, uninflected form of the verb.

Minä haluan istua. (I want to sit.)

When conjugating 'istua' in the present tense, the 'a' at the end changes based on the personal pronoun. For 'minä' (I), it becomes 'n'.

Minä istun. (I sit.)

For 'sinä' (you, singular), the 'a' at the end of 'istua' changes to 't'.

Sinä istut. (You sit.)

For 'hän' (he/she), the 'a' at the end of 'istua' remains 'a', but the verb takes on a double vowel ending if the stem ends in a vowel. In this case, 'istuu'.

Hän istuu. (He/she sits.)

When using 'istua' in the imperative (command form), the 'a' at the end is removed for a singular command.

Istua! (Sit down! - if used informally as a command to one person, though more commonly 'Istu!')

Beispiele nach Niveau

Minä istun.

I sit.

Sinä istut.

You (singular) sit.

Hän istuu.

He/she sits.

Me istumme.

We sit.

Te istutte.

You (plural) sit.

He istuvat.

They sit.

Istun tuolilla.

I sit on the chair.

Lapsi istuu lattialla.

The child sits on the floor.

Minä istun tässä tuolissa.

I sit in this chair.

Here, 'istun' is the first person singular form of 'istua'.

He istuvat penkillä puistossa.

They sit on a bench in the park.

'Istuvat' is the third person plural form.

Voinko istua tähän?

Can I sit here?

A polite question using the infinitive form 'istua'.

Lapset istuivat lattialla ja leikkivät.

The children sat on the floor and played.

'Istuivat' is the past tense (imperfect) third person plural form.

Me istuimme koko illan ja juttelimme.

We sat all evening and talked.

'Istuimme' is the past tense (imperfect) first person plural form.

Hän istuu aina samassa paikassa kirjastossa.

He/she always sits in the same place in the library.

'Istuu' is the third person singular form.

Istukaa alas, olkaa hyvä.

Sit down, please.

'Istukaa' is an imperative form, polite command for multiple people.

Milloin istut lounaalle?

When do you sit down for lunch?

'Istut' is the second person singular form.

Minä istun tässä tuolissa.

I sit in this chair.

Basic present tense conjugation.

He istuivat penkillä odottaen bussia.

They sat on the bench waiting for the bus.

Past tense of 'istua' with partitive case for the object of waiting (bussia).

Voimmeko istua alas ja puhua tästä?

Can we sit down and talk about this?

Infinitive form used with 'voida' (can).

Lapsi istui hiljaa lattialla leikkien palikoilla.

The child sat quietly on the floor playing with blocks.

Past tense with illative case for location and instructively formed 'playing'.

Istutko usein ikkunan ääressä ja katselet ihmisiä?

Do you often sit by the window and watch people?

Present tense with genitive case for 'ikkunan ääressä' (by the window).

Hän istuu usein yksin kahvilassa lukemassa kirjaa.

He often sits alone in the café reading a book.

Present tense with inessive case for location and instructively formed 'reading'.

Opettaja käski oppilaita istumaan paikoilleen.

The teacher told the students to sit in their places.

Third infinitive illative case of 'istua' to express purpose/command.

Istahdetaan hetkeksi, olen todella väsynyt.

Let's sit down for a moment, I'm really tired.

Hortative mood of 'istua' with a moment of rest.

Voisitteko istua odottamaan, hoitaja kutsuu teidät pian sisään.

Could you sit and wait, the nurse will call you in soon.

Here 'istua odottamaan' means 'to sit and wait'. The verb 'istua' is used with the illative case for the action one sits down to do.

Hän istui mieluummin lattialla kuin tuolilla, koska se oli mukavampaa.

He preferred to sit on the floor rather than on a chair, because it was more comfortable.

The illative case ('lattialla', 'tuolilla') indicates where someone sits. 'Mieluummin kuin' means 'rather than'.

Kokouksen aikana jokainen sai istua missä halusi, mikä loi rennomman ilmapiirin.

During the meeting, everyone could sit where they wanted, which created a more relaxed atmosphere.

'Missä halusi' means 'where they wanted'. 'Loi' is the past tense of 'luoda' (to create).

Lasten on vaikea istua paikoillaan pitkään, etenkin jos he ovat innoissaan.

It's difficult for children to sit still for a long time, especially if they are excited.

'Paikoillaan' means 'still' or 'in place'. 'Pitkään' means 'for a long time'.

Istahdetaan hetkeksi kahville ja vaihdetaan kuulumisia.

Let's sit down for a moment for coffee and catch up.

'Istahdetaan' is a diminutive form of 'istua', meaning 'to sit down for a moment'. 'Vaihdetaan kuulumisia' is an idiom for 'to catch up' or 'exchange news'.

Hän istui junassa ikkunan vieressä ja katseli maisemia ohivilistävän.

He sat on the train by the window and watched the scenery fly by.

'Ikkunan vieressä' means 'by the window'. 'Ohivilistävän' is the genitive form of the present participle, used here to describe the scenery's action.

Tämä tuoli on vanha, mutta siinä on yhä mukava istua.

This chair is old, but it's still comfortable to sit on.

The inessive case ('siinä') is used here to indicate 'on it' or 'in it'.

En pysty istumaan paikallani, kun minulla on niin paljon energiaa.

I can't sit still when I have so much energy.

'En pysty istumaan' means 'I can't sit'. The illative form of the verb 'istua' is used with 'pystyä' (to be able to).

Häufige Kollokationen

istua alas to sit down

istua tuolille to sit on a chair

istua pöydän ääreen to sit at the table

istua sohvalla to sit on the sofa

istua maahan to sit on the ground

istua autoon to sit in the car

istua penkillä to sit on a bench

istua mukavasti to sit comfortably

istua hiljaa to sit quietly

istua risti-istunnassa to sit cross-legged

Häufige Phrasen

Voitko istua tähän?

Can you sit here?

Minä istun odottamaan.

I will sit and wait.

Hän istuu aina samalla paikalla.

He/She always sits in the same spot.

Istukaa alas, olkaa hyvä.

Please sit down.

Missä sinä istut?

Where are you sitting?

Me istumme kahvilla.

We are sitting for coffee. (We are having coffee.)

Älä istu märälle penkille.

Don't sit on the wet bench.

Lapsi istuu sylissä.

The child sits on the lap.

Istuin koko päivän töissä.

I sat all day at work.

He istuvat juttelemassa.

They are sitting and chatting.

Einprägen

Eselsbrücke

Imagine a big, comfy chair. You 'sit' in it. The 'istu-a' sounds a bit like 'sit you a' in English. So, 'sit you a' in the chair, 'istu-a'.

Visuelle Assoziation

Picture yourself sitting on an 'ice-cube' – 'istua' sounds a bit like 'ice-tua'. It would be cold to sit on an ice cube!

Word Web

Minä istun pöydän ääressä. (I sit at the table.) Hän istuu tuolilla. (He/She sits on the chair.) Istua alas. (To sit down.) Istun autossa. (I sit in the car.) He istuvat sohvalla. (They sit on the sofa.)

Herausforderung

Describe in Finnish where you are sitting right now, using 'istua'. For example, if you are sitting at a desk, you could say: 'Minä istun pöydän ääressä.' (I sit at the table.)