The Verb Quedar

Quedar is a very useful and interesting Spanish verb because it has a great number of different meanings. Let's learn a few!

Quedar ("to stay" or "to remain") is commonly used alone (quedar) or accompanied with reflexive pronouns (quedarse). This verb can be followed by different complements and prepositions such as con (with), en (in, on), or de (of, from).

Quedarse con means "to stay with":

Y te quedas con los niños.

And you stay with the children.

Caption 29, 75 minutos - Del campo a la mesa
Play Caption

It's useful to learn how to turn this expression into an order or request. All you have to do is use the reflexive pronoun as a suffix of the verb: quédate con los niños (stay with the kids). Here's another useful example:

Quédate conmigo

Stay with me

Caption 42, Carlos Baute y Marta Sanchez - Colgando en tus manos
Play Caption

If you combine the verb quedar(se) with the preposition en (in, on), you can introduce an expression of place:

El azúcar se queda en la sangre.

Sugar stays in the blood.

Caption 5, Los médicos explican - La diabetes
Play Caption

You could also use it to express time using prepositions such as desde (since), or durante (during). For example: Elisa se quedará durante el verano (Elisa will stay during the summer); Nos quedaremos desde mayo hasta junio (We'll stay from May to June).

Do you remember how Spanish uses the word hay (there is, there are), the impersonal form of the verb haber (to have)? You can do something similar with queda or quedan (singular and plural third person of quedar) to express the idea "there is [something] left":

Pues ya no queda nada de qué hablar, nada...

For there is nothing left to talk about, nothing...

Caption 2, Bunbury - Entrevista Con Enrique Bunbury
Play Caption

This combination of “queda + something” is very useful, and interesting too, because it uses the verb quedar as in a way similar to the impersonal verb hay (there's, there are). So, for example, you can say: ¿Queda café? (Is there any coffee left?), ¿Quedan plátanos en el refri? (Are there any bananas left in the fridge?).

Quedar can also mean "to end up," or "to result in." For example, in the question ¿En qué quedó eso? (How did that end up?). Or here:

Y así queda nuestro diseño.

And our design ends up looking like this.

Caption 71, Manos a la obra - Papel picado para Día de muertos
Play Caption

This can also be used with reflexive pronouns. You can say: Así nos queda nuestro diseño. Another example is:

...porque si no el brócoli sí que nos queda crudo.

...because if not the broccoli does end up raw for us.

Caption 17, Cómetelo - Crema de brócoli
Play Caption

The expressions quedar con and quedar en can be used figuratively to express that you have agreed about something with someone. For example, agreeing to meet in a certain place:

Quedamos en vernos aquí a las tres en punto.
We agreed we will meet here at three o'clock.

Or just agreeing with someone on something:

Quedé con Esther en que me quedaría a cuidar a los niños.
I agreed with Esther that I would stay to take care of the kids.

The verb quedar can also be used to express the idea that someone has changed or ended up in a certain position or state of mind. For example: Juliana se quedó sola tras la partida de Esther (Juliana was left alone after Esther's departure). Me quedé sorprendido con su actuación (I was [left] surprised by her performance). Translations vary, however. For example:

Bueno, mi papá se quedó sin trabajo

Well, my dad lost his job

Caption 15, Biografía - Natalia Oreiro
Play Caption

You can also use the verb quedar to express the idea that a person has gained a certain reputation after an action. For example: quedé como un idiota (I looked like an idiot). As a result, the fixed expression quedar bien means then "to look good" or "get in good with," while quedar mal means the opposite.

No me quedes mal, papá.
Don't let me down, Dad.

Además es una manera de quedar bien con la empresa.

Additionally, it's a way to look good with the company.

Caption 84, Raquel y Marisa - Español Para Negocios - Nuestro perfil profesional en la red
Play Caption

Quedar can also be used to express the idea that you will keep something with you. For example:

-Me quedaré con tu pluma porque me gusta mucho. -No, no puedes quedártela.
-I will keep your pen because I really like it. -No, you can't keep it.

Can you think of a way to answer the previous question with a positive? It's Claro, quédatela ("Sure, keep it")!

You can also use the expression quedar por + a verb in the infinitive to express the idea that something is left to be done. Translations vary depending on the context. For example:

Sólo queda por hacer la tarea.
Only homework is left to be done.

No quiero ni pensar en todo lo que nos queda por alcanzar.
I don't even want to think about how much we still need to achieve.

Finally, the verb quedar also means "to fit" or "to suit":

¿Me queda bien? Sí, ¿no?

Does it look good on me? It does, right?

-Guapo, guapo, muy bien se ve.

-Handsome, handsome, it looks very good.

Caption 52, 75 minutos - Gangas para ricos
Play Caption