I am sitting down = "Estoy sentado" or "Estoy sentandome"?

Question

When I learned about reflexive verbs and the verb "sentarse" (to sit down), I noticed I now know 2 ways to say "I am sitting down"; "Estoy sentado" & "Estoy sentandome" My question is simple: Are both forms used and do they mean the same thing?

Answer 1

They are both used, but they don't mean exactly the same thing.

Estoy sentado = I am seated. I'm not moving. I'm not in the process of sitting down.

Estoy sentándome = I am in the process of sitting down. Once my bottom is on the chair, I will say estoy sentado instead of estoy sentándome.

The progressive tenses aren't used very much in Spanish. When they are, it's to emphasize that the action is happening as we speak.

Answer 2

delete-already answered

The first one (Estoy sentado) is I am seated (or sitting down). Sentado being the past participle used as an adjective, not a progressive tense verb.

Estoy sentándome is a progressive tense verb. I am sitting myself down (I am seating myself).

Either one could be I am sitting down, but one is a verb and one is an adjective to describe a condition or situation.

Answer 3

estoy sentadome

This is incorrect. You don't add a reflexive pronoun to a past participle. - Hgwy101, Mar 23, 2013

Answer 4

Estoy sentado.