The kanji 座 primarily means "seat," "place," or "to sit." It refers to a location where someone sits, the act of sitting, or a position or status. It can also figuratively represent a role or position in a group.

・On-yomi (音読み): ザ (za) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): すわ.る (suwa.ru) – to sit

⚫︎座席 Translation: Seat; seating. ⚫︎正座 Translation: Seiza (a formal Japanese sitting style, kneeling with the heels tucked under the buttocks). ⚫︎社長の座 Translation: The position of the company president; the president's seat.

The kanji 座 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字). The semantic (meaning) component is 广, which depicts a "shelter" or "building". The phonetic (sound) component is 坐 (そ), which represents "to sit". The original meaning of this kanji, therefore, is related to a place for sitting, or a seat within a building or sheltered area.