to squat / sit
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to squat
To sit in a posture where the knees are strongly bent and the buttocks are close to the ground or resting on the heels.
Die Kinder hockten im Kreis auf dem Boden und spielten mit Murmeln.
The children squatted in a circle on the floor and played with marbles.
to sit around
Colloquially, to sit, often with the sense of spending a long time idly or comfortably in one place.
Wir haben den ganzen Abend nur in der Kneipe gehockt und geredet.
We just sat around in the pub all evening and talked.
to live
Very colloquially, to live or reside somewhere, often with a slightly negative undertone suggesting passivity or a lack of ambition.
Er hockt mit 30 immer noch bei seinen Eltern im Keller.
At 30, he is still living in his parents' basement.
'Hocken' is a colloquial word. While the literal meaning (to crouch/squat) is still relatively neutral, the figurative meanings for 'sitzen' (to sit) or 'wohnen' (to live) often have a slightly passive or negative undertone.
Was hockst du den ganzen Tag nur rum? Geh doch mal raus!
Why are you just sitting around all day? Go outside for once!
In southern Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, 'hocken' is often used as a neutral, everyday word for 'sitzen' (to sit), without the negative connotation it can have in other regions.
Komm, hock dich zu uns an den Tisch!
Come on, sit down with us at the table!
In its literal meaning, 'hocken' describes a specific body posture in which you crouch with your knees strongly bent. It is often used with 'sich hinhocken' (to squat down) to describe the movement into this position.
Der Gärtner hockte im Beet, um Unkraut zu jäten.
The gardener squatted in the bed to weed.
This colloquial meaning describes sitting for a long time, often idly or passively. Typical combinations are 'vor dem Fernseher hocken' (to sit around in front of the TV) or 'in der Kneipe hocken' (to sit around in the pub).
Er hat den ganzen Nachmittag vor dem Computer gehockt.
He sat around in front of the computer all afternoon.
When 'hocken' means 'wohnen' (to live), it almost always has a negative connotation. It suggests that someone is passive and is not making an effort to change their situation. It is usually followed by a location phrase with 'bei' or 'in'.
Sie hockt immer noch in ihrer winzigen Einzimmerwohnung am Stadtrand.
She is still stuck living in her tiny one-room apartment on the outskirts of town.
to sit
Sitzen neutrally describes the body position of being on a surface. Hocken can mean the same thing colloquially, but it often suggests that someone stays in one place comfortably or idly for a longer time.
Mara hockt den ganzen Nachmittag untätig auf dem Sofa.
Mara sits around on the sofa doing nothing all afternoon.
Mara sitzt auf dem Sofa und liest ein Buch.
Mara is sitting on the sofa and reading a book.
