Thread: сел и сидит

Он сел за стол.
Он сидит за столом.
One is in the ac. while the other is in the ic. This is quite a difficult concept for me to understand. He sat on at the table is ac, while he is sitting at the table is ic.
Hope you guys can give some other examples to help me understand this concept.
Спасибо заранее.

Originally Posted by tohca

Он сел за стол.
Он сидит за столом.
One is in the ac. while the other is in the ic. This is quite a difficult concept for me to understand. He sat on at the table is ac, while he is sitting at the table is ic.
Hope you guys can give some other examples to help me understand this concept.
Спасибо заранее.

In Russian there is a distinction between location and motion:

Я в школе (prep.) - I'm at the school (location)
Я иду в школу (acc.) - I'm going to the school (motion)

It is the same for other prepositions
Behind (location) = за + instrumental
Behind (motion) = за + accusative

Он сидит за столом - He is sitting behind the table.
This is location, he is behind the table. Therefore it's за + instrumental.

Он сел за стол - This is motion towards behind. cесть means to sit down. Therefore it's за + accusative.

Thanks for the explanation. But it's still quite difficult for me to grasp the idea that 'sitting' = location, and 'sat' = motion. Both appear to me to fit both description, location and motion, equally. Guess I'll have to just memorise them. am sad as I seem not to be making much progress...............

Originally Posted by tohca

Thanks for the explanation. But it's still quite difficult for me to grasp the idea that 'sitting' = location, and 'sat' = motion. Both appear to me to fit both description, location and motion, equally. Guess I'll have to just memorise them. am sad as I seem not to be making much progress...............

No they don't. In english "sat down" can only be motion. It's not hard to understand. Clearly with one action you aren't doing anything you are just there and with the other action you are moving.

Clearly know you know what the case usage signifies this will tell you what the verb means?

Once again you are trying to use English to understand Russian. You see "he sat" and think, "that can mean he was sitting for a period of tim, or it can also mean he sat down". The English verb "to sit" is versitile, it can mean a number of things.

сидить = to be sitting, i.e. in a sitting position.
cесть = to sit down.

Originally Posted by TATY

сидеть = to be sitting, i.e. in a sitting position.
cесть = to sit down.

tohca I'd say:
сидеть is a state/status/position
сесть is an action

One should sit down for being sitting.
Чтобы сидеть, надо сесть.

Originally Posted by Оля

Originally Posted by TATY

сидеть = to be sitting, i.e. in a sitting position.
cесть = to sit down.

tohca I'd say:
сидеть is a state/status/position
сесть is an action

One should sit down in order to be sitting.
Чтобы сидеть, надо сесть.

Ahhhhhhhh this is now much better. One must sit down in order to be sitting. Большое спасибо!

Question to clarify:

If you want someone to sit (down) you say Сядь(те)! (Is this true: I learned Сади(те)сь is more polite than the former, I think...)

If you want someone to remain sitting, do you say, Сиди(те)!...?

Сидите rather means "Keep sitting, don't stand up".

And yes, you're absolutely right, "сядьте" can be rude. "Садитесь" is much more polite.

Originally Posted by ZelyeUrsuli

Question to clarify:

If you want someone to sit (down) you say Сядь(те)! (Is this true: I learned Сади(те)сь is more polite than the former, I think...)

If you want someone to remain sitting, do you say, Сиди(те)!...?

Remember, imperfective commands are more polite than perfective commands.

That's why when Russians offer you things (to eat, for example) they say "берите" (from брать, imperfective) more often than "возьмите" (from взять, perfective).

Сядь(те) is the perfective imperative. (from сесть)
Cади(те)сь is the imperfective imperative (therefore more polite.) (from садиться)

Originally Posted by TATY

Remember, imperfective commands are more polite than perfective commands.

That's why when Russians offer you things (to eat, for example) they say "берите" (from брать, imperfective) more often than "возьмите" (from взять, perfective).

It's maybe strange, but "берите" sounds more rude than "возьмите". I don't think we say "берите" when we offer someone things... I'd say rather возьмите, definitely.
Берите sounds like a command, and if you say it angrily, it can be rude.
Возьмите sounds like an entreaty (I mean просьба), and if you say it angrily, it can be even funny.

P.S. But you know, when we offer someone things to eat, it would be even better to use "берите": берите огурчики, берите помидорчики, берите, не стеснятесь...
There is no logic in Russian language...

просьба = request/favor (entreaty, too - that's just not an often used word).

What I meant by rude is that I was taught сядьте has a rude sort of connotation to it.

I mean, it does sound rude when you say it. Сядь, глупая собака!