Я сиджу за столом.

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Breakdown of Я сиджу за столом.

• сидіти: to sit
• стіл: the table
• за: at

Questions & Answers about Я сиджу за столом.

Is "за столом" at the table or behind the table?

In everyday speech, with furniture like a table, "за столом" means "at the table" (seated there to eat, work, etc.). If you specifically mean "behind the table" as a location on the far side, context or phrases like "позаду столу" make it clearer.

Why is "столом" ending in -ом? Which case is this?

Instrumental singular. With "за" meaning a stationary location (at/behind), Ukrainian uses the instrumental. Compare: motion toward the table uses the accusative: "за стіл". Example pair: "Я сиджу за столом" (I am sitting at the table) vs "Я сідаю за стіл" (I sit down at the table).

How do I say "I sit down at the table"?

"Я сідаю за стіл." In the past: "Я сів за стіл" (masc.) / "Я сіла за стіл" (fem.). Imperative: "Сядь за стіл!"

Why "сиджу" and not "сидю" or "сіду"?

The verb is сидіти "to sit". In 1st person singular present, many stems ending in -д change to -дж before the -у ending: я сиджу. This is a regular phonetic change. Another example: ходити → я ходжу.

How do you conjugate "сидіти" in the present?

• я сиджу
• ти сидиш
• він/вона/воно сидить
• ми сидимо
• ви сидите
• вони сидять

Is this the English present continuous? Does Ukrainian have "am sitting"?

Ukrainian uses the simple present for both habitual and right-now actions. So Я сиджу за столом covers "I sit" and "I am sitting." Add time words for clarity: зараз/тепер (now): "Я зараз сиджу за столом."

Can I drop the pronoun "я"?

Yes. The verb ending already shows the person. Сиджу за столом is natural if the subject is clear from context. Keeping Я adds clarity or emphasis.

Do I need an article? How do I say "the/a table"?

Ukrainian has no articles. за столом can mean "at the table" or "at a table"; context supplies definiteness. If needed, add detail: за обіднім столом (at the dining table), за своїм столом (at my/one’s own table).

What’s the difference between "за столом" and "на столі"?

• за столом = at the table (you are seated by it).
• на столі = on the table (an object is on the surface). You wouldn’t normally use this for a person unless they’re literally on top of the table.

What other common prepositions go with "стіл" and which cases do they take?

• під столом (under the table) → instrumental
• над столом (above the table) → instrumental
• перед столом (in front of the table) → instrumental
• біля столу (near the table) → genitive
• на столі (on the table) → locative

Why does "стіл" become "столом"? Is that normal?

Yes. The noun стіл alternates to стол- in oblique cases. Some key singular forms:

• nominative: стіл
• genitive: стола
• dative: столу / столові
• accusative: стіл
• instrumental: столом
• locative: (на) столі
• vocative: столе

How do I say "I was sitting / I will be sitting at the table"?

• Past: Я сидів за столом (masc.) / Я сиділа за столом (fem.).
• Future (imperfective, ongoing): Я сидітиму за столом or Я буду сидіти за столом.
• Future (perfective, for a while): Я посиджу за столом.

How do I say "at the desk"?

Use за столом for a desk too, or be specific:

• за письмовим столом (at the writing desk)
• For a school desk: за партою

How do I pronounce "Я сиджу за столом"?

Romanization: Ya sydzhu za stolom. Notes:

• дж in сиджу sounds like English j in "jam" (dzh).
• я = "ya".
• Every written vowel is pronounced; there are no articles, so read each word as written.

Can I change the word order?

Yes, for emphasis or style:

• Neutral: Я сиджу за столом.
• Focus on location: За столом я сиджу. Core meaning stays the same; intonation signals what’s emphasized.

How do I make it negative?

Put не before the verb: Я не сиджу за столом. You can also drop the pronoun: Не сиджу за столом.