S'asseoir (or s'assoir) is a peculiar verb in that it has two accepted conjugations in Le Présent. They are equally correct and mean exactly the same thing.
Here are both conjugations of S'ASSEOIR (to sit down) in Le Présent:
| 1st conjugation | 2nd conjugation | English |
| je m'assois | je m'assieds | I sit down / I'm sitting down |
| tu t'assois | tu t'assieds | you sit down / you're sitting down |
| il s'assoit | il s'assied | he/she/one sit down / he/she/one is sitting down |
| nous nous assoyons | nous nous asseyons | we sit down / we're sitting down |
| vous vous assoyez | vous vous asseyez | you sit down / you're sitting down |
| ils s'assoient | ils s'asseyent | they sit down / they're sitting down |
Note that these two conjugations have different pronunciations:
Je m'assieds avec toi.
Je m'assois avec toi.
I sit down with you.
Tu t'assieds discrètement.
Tu t'assois discrètement.
You're sitting down quietly.
Elle s'assied avec Paul.
Elle s'assoit avec Paul.
She's sitting with Paul.
Nous nous asseyons ici tous les jours.
Nous nous assoyons ici tous les jours.
We sit here every day.
Vous vous asseyez avec nous ?
Vous vous assoyez avec nous ?
Are you sitting with us?
Ils s'asseyent sur le banc.
Ils s'assoient sur le banc.
They're sitting down on the bench.
Remember that to conjugate a reflexive verb in Le Présent, you need to agree the reflexive pronom se (infinitive: se laver, se raser...) with each person, as follows:
je me / m'
tu te / t'
il, elle, on se / s' + verb conjugated in the right form
nous nous
vous vous
ils, elles se / s'
Learn more about these related French grammar topics
Examples and resources
Nous nous asseyons ici tous les jours.
Nous nous assoyons ici tous les jours.
We sit here every day.
Elle s'assied avec Paul.
Elle s'assoit avec Paul.
She's sitting with Paul.
Vous vous asseyez avec nous ?
Vous vous assoyez avec nous ?
Are you sitting with us?
Je m'assieds avec toi.
Je m'assois avec toi.
I sit down with you.
Ils s'asseyent sur le banc.
Ils s'assoient sur le banc.
They're sitting down on the bench.
Tu t'assieds discrètement.
Tu t'assois discrètement.
You're sitting down quietly.
Q&A
Chris
Kwiziq community member
21/09/18
Hi Stuart,
No, they are from different roots.
Ass/arse in the meaning of slang for butt/behind, comes from the Latin asinus meaning donkey.
Asseoir derives from Latin assidere (to sit down).
Chris
Kwiziq community member
22/02/18
Hi Graham, I guess you would have to remove it from one notebook and add it in the other one. I don't know of a more direct way.
-- Chris.
Ron
Kwiziq community member
1 December 2017
3 replies
Please explain the reason for 2 different conjugations with this verb
I have noticed this peculiarity with s'asseoir as well as a couple of other verbs in French; however, I have never read or found an explanation for the reason this exists like such.
Chris
Kwiziq community member
4/12/17
Ron
Kwiziq community member
4/12/17
Cécile
Kwiziq language super star
5/03/18
Hi both,
This is an interesting one! Indeed you will hear a mixture of both conjugations in spoken language but I think in the Imperative you might hear,
Assieds-toi, Asseyons-nous and Asseyez-vous
more than the other one.
Hope this helps!
Aurélie
Kwiziq language super star
14/10/16
jane
Kwiziq community member
15/10/16
jane
Kwiziq community member
15/10/16
Melody
Kwiziq community member
17/06/16
Aurélie
Kwiziq language super star
20/06/16
Melisa
Kwiziq community member
22 October 2018
2 replies
Sound the same?
Is there any difference in pronunciation between Ils s'assoient and Ils'assoit if the following word starts with a consonant? If not, how can you tell which is meant if the context doesn't make it clear?
Cécile
Kwiziq language super star
23 October 2018
23/10/18
Hi Melisa,
Both 'ils s'assoient' and 'il s'assoit' sound the same.
If the context is not clear you would have to ask for clarification.
Hope this helps!
Melisa
Kwiziq community member
23 October 2018
23/10/18