Today I’m determined to solve one of my students’ worst nightmare. (*cheers and applauses…*)

When do we use “quedar” and when “quedarse”? What does it mean “quedar”? and “quedarse”?

These two verbs have completely different meanings and uses, let’s take a look at them:

Quedar

Quedar has a few meanings:

1. To be left, remain. (= haber, hay)

– No queda leche. Voy al super a comprar un par de cartones.
– There isn’t any milk left. I’ll go to the supermarket to buy a couple of bricks.

2. To be away from (= faltar + tiempo / espacio)

– Quedan 2 meses para Navidad.
– Christmas is two months away.

– Quedan 70km para llegar a la ciudad.
– The city is 70km away.

3. To arrange to meet (= citar)

– Hemos quedado en la puerta del cine a las 5, ¿te vienes?
– We have arranged to meet outside the cinema at 5 ¿are you coming? 

4. To be, in this sense, “quedar” describes a location, where something is (= estar).

– Mi casa queda en el centro, al final de la calle Elwood.
– My house is in downtown, at the end of Elwood Street.

5. To suit, fit clothing, hairstyle… (= sentar una ropa, un peinado…)

– Estos pantalones me quedan bien.
– This trousers fit me.

Quedarse

1. To remain, stay  (= permanecer en un lugar o estado).

– Ella se quedó en casa en lugar de ir a la clase .
– She stayed at home instead of going to class.

– Me quedé triste cuando se fue.
– I was sad when she left.

2. To keep something.

– Me quedé con el libro de mi profesor.
– I kept my teacher’s book.

– No te quedes con lo que no es tuyo. Devuélvelo.
– Don’t keep what’s not yours. Give it back.

3. To run out of something.

– Me he quedado sin dinero.
– I’ve run out of money.

Note: 

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