The German word for seat is der Sitz.
Sitz in German refers to a physical place to sit—like a chair, a car seat, or a reserved spot. It’s also used metaphorically to mean someone’s official base or headquarters. From public transport to parliament, this is a word you’ll run into regularly.
It’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German (grab the full illustrated PDF here).
Gender and Pronunciation
It’s a masculine noun: der Sitz.
Struggling with gender? This video lesson makes it stick using examples and intuitive tricks.
Pronunciation:
Sitz is pronounced [zits]
Rhymes with “fits”
One short, sharp syllable: ZITS
Example sentences
Ich habe einen Sitz am Fenster reserviert.
I reserved a window seat.
Der Sitz ist sehr bequem.
The seat is very comfortable.
Die Firma hat ihren Sitz in Berlin.
The company is headquartered in Berlin.
How does this word come up in real conversations?
"Wo ist dein Sitz im Kino?"
Where’s your seat in the cinema?
"Bitte nehmen Sie Ihren Sitz ein."
Please take your seat.
"Der Sitz des Bundestages ist in Berlin."
The Bundestag’s official seat is in Berlin.
Sample Dialogue (Beginner Level)
Lea: Wo willst du sitzen?
Ben: Am liebsten am Fenster.
Lea: Okay, ich nehme den Gangplatz.
Ben: Perfekt – dann haben wir beide gute Sitze!
Translation:
Lea: Where do you want to sit?
Ben: Ideally by the window.
Lea: Okay, I’ll take the aisle seat.
Ben: Perfect—then we both have good seats!
Grammatical case examples
Nominative:
Der Sitz ist kaputt.
The seat is broken.
Accusative:
Ich nehme den Sitz ganz vorne.
I’ll take the seat right at the front.
Dative:
Mit dem Sitz war ich nicht zufrieden.
I wasn’t happy with the seat.
Genitive:
Die Farbe des Sitzes gefällt mir.
I like the color of the seat.
Other ways to say seat in German
While Sitz is the core term for seat in German, you might also hear Platz in casual contexts, like “Ich habe keinen Platz mehr” (“I don’t have a seat left”). For specific types of seats, you’ll encounter Sitzplatz (seating spot), Autositz (car seat), and Kindersitz (child’s car seat). In formal or political contexts, Sitz may also refer to a legislative or organizational seat.
Word variations and tidbits
Sitz appears in everyday compound words like Sitzplatz (assigned seat), Sitzreihe (row of seats), Sitzung (a session or meeting—literally “a sitting”), Sitzbank (bench), and Sitznachbar (seat neighbor). Politically, Sitz im Parlament refers to a parliamentary seat. In business, Sitz der Firma is where a company is legally registered or headquartered. You’ll also see Rücksitz (back seat), Vordersitz (front seat), and Sitzheizung (seat warmer).
📘 Duden entry for Sitz
🎥 Want to claim your Sitz at the table of fluent German speakers? Our free video course teaches the top 1000 nouns—with visuals, grammar tips, and a downloadable PDF.
Ready for more German Words of the Day?
Do you know what Socke means? Every Sitz feels better with a warm one.
And what about Sohn? He never wants to stay in his Sitz on long car rides.
How do you say view or visibility in German?
Talking about the weather, a beautiful landscape, or even your understanding of something? Then you’ll want to know how to say view or visibility in German.