Sit about Meaning in English
expression
ˈsɪt/ /əˈbaʊt
SIT uh-BOWT
sˈɪt/ /ɐbˈaʊt
SIT uh-BOWT
Definition
To spend time sitting and not doing much, often in a relaxed or lazy way; to be idle while sitting.
Usage & Nuances
'Sit about' is informal, mostly in British English; American English often uses 'sit around'. Implies inactivity or laziness; sometimes used lightly or sarcastically. Common collocations: 'sit about all day', 'just sit about'. Not used for purposeful sitting (waiting, reading, etc.).
Spanish: estar sentado sin hacer nada - perder el tiempoPortuguese (BR): ficar sentado sem fazer nada - enrolarPortuguese (PT): estar sentado sem fazer nada - passar o tempoChinese (Simplified): 无所事事地坐着 - 闲坐Chinese (Traditional): 無所事事地坐著 - 閒坐Hindi: बेकार बैठना - समय बर्बाद करनाArabic: الجلوس بلا عمل - إضاعة الوقتBengali: বসে থাকা - অলসভাবে বসে থাকাRussian: сидеть без дела - бездельничатьJapanese: だらだら座る - 何もせず座っているVietnamese: ngồi không - ngồi chơiKorean: 빈둥빈둥 앉아 있다 - 아무것도 안 하고 앉아 있다Turkish: öylece oturmak - boş boş oturmakUrdu: بیٹھے رہنا - سستی سے بیٹھناIndonesian: duduk-duduk saja - duduk bermalas-malasan
Example Sentences
We just sit about in the afternoons when it’s rainy.
basic
Don’t sit about—help me with these boxes!
basic
He likes to sit about and watch people in the park.
basic
I can’t just sit about while you do all the work.
natural
We spent the whole morning just sitting about, drinking coffee.
natural
Sometimes it’s nice to sit about and do absolutely nothing.
natural