seat

noun

/siːt/

Idioms

place to sit

enlarge image

a place where you can sit, for example a chair座位，坐处（如椅子等）

She sat back in her seat.她坐在座位上，朝后靠着。
He put his shopping on the seat behind him.他把买的东西放在身后的座位上。
Please take a seat (= sit down).请坐。
Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats (= sit down).各位来宾，请就座。
the front/passenger seat (= in a car)（汽车）前排／副驾驶座位
the back/rear seats后排座位
a child seat (= for a child in a car)（汽车上的）儿童安全座椅
a window/an aisle seat (= on a plane or train)（飞机或火车的）靠窗／靠过道座位
a window/corner seat (= one near a window/in a corner)挨窗户／角落里的座位
a car/toilet seat汽车座位；马桶座圈
We used the branch of an old tree as a seat.我们坐在一棵老树的树杈上。
We all filed back to our seats in silence.我们都默默无语，一个跟一个地回到座位上。

Synonyms sitsitsit down ▪ be seated ▪ take a seat ▪ perchThese words all mean to rest your weight on your bottom with your back straight, for example on a chair.sit to rest your weight on your bottom with your back straight, for example on a chair:

May I sit here?我可以坐在这儿吗？
Sit still, will you!坐着别动！

Sit is usually used with an adverb or prepositional phrase to show where or how somebody sits, but sometimes another phrase or clause is used to show what somebody does while they are sitting: We sat talking for hours. sit down/sit yourself down to move from a standing position to a sitting position:

Please sit down.请坐。
Come in and sit yourselves down.都进来坐下。

be seated (formal) to be sitting:

She was seated at the head of the table.她坐在桌子的上座。

Be seated is often used as a formal way of inviting somebody to sit down: Please be seated. take a seat to sit down Take a seat is used especially as a polite way of inviting somebody to sit down: Please take a seat. perch (rather informal) to sit on something, especially on the edge of something:

She perched herself on the edge of the bed.她坐在床沿上。

Perch is always used with an adverb or prepositional phrase to show where somebody is perching.Patterns

to sit/sit down/be seated/take a seat/perch on something
to sit/sit down/be seated/take a seat in something

see also back seat, booster seat, box seat, bucket seat, car seat, ejector seat, hot seat, love seat, passenger seat, window seat

Extra Examples

Do you have a spare seat in your car?你的车里还有空位吗？
He gave up his seat on the bus to a pregnant woman.他在公共汽车上把座位让给了一位孕妇。
He leaped out of his seat when he saw the rat.看到老鼠，他一下子从座位上跳了起来。
I got to the concert early to get a good seat.为了弄个好座位，我早早就来到音乐会。
I had a terrifying journey on the pillion seat of a Honda 750.我坐在本田750 摩托车后座上有一次吓人的旅程。
I slid into the leather bucket seat and fastened my seat belt.我一下子坐进真皮凹背座椅，系上了安全带。
I took my usual seat at the front of the classroom.我在教室前面常坐的地方坐下来。
Is this seat taken?这个座位有人吗？
It is very uncomfortable to sit on these seats.这些座位坐着非常不舒服。
The audience resumed their seats for the second half of the play.观众重新坐下观看下半场比赛。
The best seats were occupied by the friends and families of the performers.最好的座位被演员们的朋友和家人占了。
There were no empty seats left in the hall.整个会堂座无虚席。
We had hardly settled into our seats when the first goal was scored.我们还没坐稳，第一个球就进了。
We had ringside seats for the boxing match.拳击比赛我们的座位靠近台边。
We had the best seats in the house for the concert.我们占据了音乐厅的最佳座位。
Would you prefer a window seat or an aisle seat?您喜欢靠窗的座位还是靠过道的座位？

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective

available
empty
spare
…

verb + seat

find
get
grab
…

seat + noun

cover
cushion
reservation
…

preposition

in a/the seat
on a/the seat
out of a/the seat
…

phrases

the best seat in the house
lean back in your seat
settle back in your seat
…

-seater

(in nouns and adjectives) with the number of seats mentioned有…座位的；有…座的

(British English) a ten-seater minibus十座小公共汽车
an all-seater stadium (= in which nobody is allowed to stand)全座席体育场

part of chair

the part of a chair, etc. on which you actually sit（椅子等的）座部

a steel chair with a plastic seat塑料座部的钢架椅子

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective

available
empty
spare
…

verb + seat

find
get
grab
…

seat + noun

cover
cushion
reservation
…

preposition

in a/the seat
on a/the seat
out of a/the seat
…

phrases

the best seat in the house
lean back in your seat
settle back in your seat
…

in plane/train/theatre

a place where you pay to sit in a plane, train, theatre, etc.座位

Call the theatre box office to book your seats.致电剧院售票处预订座位。
To reserve a seat, visit our website.要预订座位，请访问我们的网站。
There are no seats left on that flight.那次航班没座位了。
Airlines often give great deals to fill empty seats.航空公司经常提供超值优惠来填补空座位。
seat for something We had excellent seats for the show, on the third row.我们的座位非常好，位于第三排。

Extra Examples

I reserved seats for a performance of ‘King Lear’ at the New Theatre.我预订了几张新剧院上演的《李尔王》的票。
an electronic seat-reservation system电子订座系统
Seat reservations are free.预订座位免费。
Not all theatres can fill their seats so easily.并非所有剧院都能如此轻松地坐满座位。
Is it possible to book seats for the play?能不能预订观看这个剧的座位？
I managed to get some seats for the ballet.我设法搞到了几张芭蕾舞演出票。

Topics Transport by bus and traina2, Transport by aira2

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective

available
empty
spare
…

verb + seat

find
get
grab
…

seat + noun

cover
cushion
reservation
…

preposition

in a/the seat
on a/the seat
out of a/the seat
…

phrases

the best seat in the house
lean back in your seat
settle back in your seat
…

official position

an official position as a member of a parliament, council, committee, etc.（议会、理事会、委员会等的）席位

a seat on the city council/in Parliament/in Congress市政会／议会／国会席位
Republicans currently hold 51 seats in the Senate.共和党目前在参议院有 51 个席位。
The majority of seats on the board will be held by business representatives.理事会的多数席位将由工商界代表担任。
The party won 32 seats in the recent elections.该党在最近的选举中赢得了32个席位。
Several ministers are in danger of losing their seats.几位部长面临失去席位的危险。
(British English) to take your seat (= to begin your duties, especially in Parliament)（尤指在议会）就职
One vote could make all the difference in the highly marginal seat of Crawley.在克劳利这个高度边缘的席位上，一票就可能产生重大影响。

town/city

seat of something (formal) a place where people are involved in a particular activity, especially a city that has a university or the offices of a government（尤指大学或政府机关）所在地；中心

Washington is the seat of government of the US.华盛顿是美国政府所在地。
a university town renowned as a seat of learning有学术重镇之称的大学城

country house

(also country seat)

(British English) a large house in the country that belongs to a member of the upper class（上层社会人士的）乡村宅第

For the first two years of her life she lived at Ickworth, the family seat in Sussex.在她生命的头两年里，她住在苏塞克斯的家族所在地伊克沃斯。

part of body

(especially formal) the part of the body on which a person sits臀部 synonym bottom (6)

part of trousers/pants

the part of a pair of trousers that covers a person’s seat（裤子的）后裆，臀部

Word OriginMiddle English (as a noun): from Old Norse sæti, from the Germanic base of sit. The verb dates from the late 16th cent.

Idioms

be in the catbird seat

to have an advantage over other people or be in control of a situation处于有利地位；控制着局势
- Canada is in the catbird seat as an energy powerhouse.加拿大作为能源强国处于领先地位。

be in the driving seat (British English)

(North American English be in the driver’s seat)

to be the person in control of a situation担任负责人；处于统领地位

bums on seats

(British English, informal) used to refer to the number of people who attend a show, talk, etc., especially when emphasizing the need or desire to attract a large number观众（或听众）的数量大（尤用于强调吸引大量观众的需要或愿望）
- They're not bothered about attracting the right audience—they just want bums on seats.他们不在乎观众是什么样的人，只求卖座。

(fly) by the seat of your pants

(informal) to act without careful thought and without a plan that you have made in advance, hoping that you will be lucky and be successful临时凭感觉碰运气；凭经验瞎碰 synonym wing it

on the edge of your seat

very excited and giving your full attention to something异常兴奋；极为激动；有浓厚兴趣
- The game had the crowd on the edge of their seats.这场比赛使观众兴奋不已。
- I was on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what happened next.我坐在座位边上等着看接下来会发生什么。

take a back seat

to allow somebody else to play a more active and important role in a particular situation than you do允许他人领先；甘愿居于人下；退居幕后
- Many managers take a back seat and leave recruitment to specialists.许多经理退居二线，将招聘工作留给了专家。

seat

verb

/siːt/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they seat	/siːt/ /siːt/
he / she / it seats	/siːts/ /siːts/
past simple seated	/ˈsiːtɪd/ /ˈsiːtɪd/
past participle seated	/ˈsiːtɪd/ /ˈsiːtɪd/
-ing form seating	/ˈsiːtɪŋ/ /ˈsiːtɪŋ/

sit down

seat somebody/yourself (formal) to give somebody a place to sit; to sit down in a place向…提供座位；（使）就座；坐；落座

Please wait to be seated (= in a restaurant, etc.).请等候安排入座。
Please be seated (= sit down).请就座。
He seated himself behind the desk.他在书桌后面坐下。
She was wondering where to seat her guests.她想知道让她的客人坐在哪里。
I found myself seated next to her.我发现自己坐在她旁边。

May I sit here?我可以坐在这儿吗？
Sit still, will you!坐着别动！

Please sit down.请坐。
Come in and sit yourselves down.都进来坐下。

be seated (formal) to be sitting:

She was seated at the head of the table.她坐在桌子的上座。

She perched herself on the edge of the bed.她坐在床沿上。

Perch is always used with an adverb or prepositional phrase to show where somebody is perching.Patterns

to sit/sit down/be seated/take a seat/perch on something
to sit/sit down/be seated/take a seat in something

Extra Examples

Please remain seated until your name is called.点到名字之前请不要站起来。
Ramirez was seated at a table near the window.拉米雷斯坐在靠窗的桌子旁。
The old woman was seated in a chair.老妇人坐在椅子上。
She seated herself on the sofa.她坐在沙发上。

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb

comfortably

preposition

phrases

be seated
be seated cross-legged
remain seated
…

of building/vehicle

seat somebody to have enough seats for a particular number of people可坐…人；能容纳…人

The aircraft seats 200 passengers.这架飞机能坐 200 名乘客。
The auditorium can seat an audience of 5 000.礼堂可容纳5000名观众。
The car seats six comfortably.这辆车可以轻轻松松坐下 6 个人。

Word OriginMiddle English (as a noun): from Old Norse sæti, from the Germanic base of sit. The verb dates from the late 16th cent.