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Siéntese allí, por favor.

Siéntese allí, por favor.
Sit down there, please.
From Lesson 161:Formal commands·Spanish (Spain)

Breakdown of Siéntese allí, por favor.

allí
there
por favor
please
sentarse
to sit down

Questions & Answers about Siéntese allí, por favor.

Why is it siéntese instead of séntese?
The verb is sentarse (to sit down). It is a stem-changing verb, meaning the e in the root changes to ie when the stress falls on it. For the formal usted command, we use the stem sient- and add the formal ending -e, giving us siente. Then we attach the reflexive pronoun se to the end.
Why is the se attached to the end of the word, and why is there an accent mark on the é?
In Spanish, when you give an affirmative command (telling someone to do something), pronouns must be attached directly to the end of the verb. Because attaching se to siente adds an extra syllable, we add a written accent mark (siéntese) to ensure our voice still stresses the original syllable.
How would I say this to a friend instead of using the formal usted?
To tell a friend to sit down, you would use the informal tú command: siéntate. The formal usted command swaps the typical ending for AR verbs and uses -e (siente + se), while the informal tú command uses the normal -a ending (sienta + te).
Could I use ahí instead of allí in this sentence?
Yes, but it changes the exact distance. Both translate to "there," but ahí usually means a short distance away, often right near the person you are talking to. Allí implies a location slightly further away, like a chair across the room or "over there."

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