Is there a single adjective to describe a person who can sit for a long time doing homework, reading or working?
For example, "Jane is so ... . She can sit at her desk for hours without getting tired of sitting."
English Language Learners Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for speakers of other languages learning English. It only takes a minute to sign up.
Sign up to join this communityIs there a single adjective to describe a person who can sit for a long time doing homework, reading or working?
For example, "Jane is so ... . She can sit at her desk for hours without getting tired of sitting."
As an alternative to "assiduous" (and to adjectives in general for the intended meaning), I would suggest the phrase "(to) have sitzfleisch". The term Sitzfleisch comes from German and literally means "sitting flesh" or "flesh to sit on". In addition to its literal meaning (the posterior), it refers to the ability to remain seated for a long time, especially the ability to finish a long task that is to be completed while you remain seated. (See also sitzfleisch in the English Wiktionary and in the German Wiktionary.)
The article "Sitzfleisch: The German concept to get more work done" on BBC Capital writes:
When someone says you have sitzfleisch, it’s usually a professional compliment: it means they believe you’re capable of focusing long enough to complete a tough project or finish whatever work needs to be done. If you don’t have sitzfleisch, however, that is a particularly evocative way of suggesting you might be flighty or unable to concentrate on one thing at a time.
I'm probably not going to hit the nail on the head with this one, but the adjective assiduous sounds like something that's not exactly, but very, very close to what you're looking for:
assiduous
adjective
constant; unremitting:
assiduous reading.
constant in application or effort; working diligently at a task; persevering; industrious; attentive:
an assiduous student.