Translation guide
How to express 'sit on' in Japanese, covering physical sitting, participation, delaying, and suppressing.
To place oneself on a surface or object in a seated position.
General verb for sitting down or being seated. Use particle に to indicate the surface sat upon.
椅子に座る。
I sit on a chair.
床に座ってください。
Please sit on the floor.
Literally 'to hang one's hips', meaning to sit down, often on a chair or bench. Slightly more formal or descriptive.
ソファに腰を掛けた。
I sat on the sofa.
Used when sitting on a vehicle or animal (e.g., horse, bicycle). Not for chairs.
馬に乗る。
I sit on a horse.
To serve as a member of a board, committee, or panel.
Neutral way to say 'is a member of'. Replace 〜 with the group name.
彼は委員会のメンバーです。
He sits on the committee.
Literally 'is participating in', often used for ongoing membership.
彼女は審査会に参加している。
She sits on the review board.
To postpone action or not deal with something promptly.
Means to leave something unattended or neglect to act. Often used for problems or tasks.
彼はその問題を放置した。
He sat on the problem.
To procrastinate or put off. More about delaying a decision or action.
上司は決定を先延ばしにした。
The boss sat on the decision.
To prevent information from becoming known or to suppress something.
Literally 'to rub out', meaning to cover up or hush up a scandal or news.
会社はスキャンダルをもみ消そうとした。
The company tried to sit on the scandal.
Formal term for concealment or cover-up.
政府は情報を隠蔽した。
The government sat on the information.
Do not use 座る for 'sit on a committee' or 'sit on a decision'. These are idiomatic in English and require different Japanese expressions.