Practise the difference in full sentences
Import 24 fixed examples and notice whether quedar arranges, remains, or describes a result—or quedarse means stay or keep.
quedar vs quedarse in Spanish
What is the difference between quedar and quedarse?
Quedar has several everyday meanings. People use it to arrange a meeting (Quedamos a las seis), say that something is left (Queda una silla), locate a place (La estación queda cerca), or describe a result (La foto quedó bien). The sentence pattern tells you which sense is intended.
Quedarse is a pronominal form: me quedo, te quedas, se queda, nos quedamos. It commonly means to stay or remain in a place or state (Me quedo en casa), and quedarse con algo means to keep or choose something (Me quedo con esta copia).
Do not treat se as a decorative extra. In Quedamos en el café, quedar means “arrange to meet”; in Nos quedamos en el café, quedarse means “we stayed at the café.” The pronoun used with this pronominal verb changes with the subject: me, te, se, nos, os, se.
Use the pattern as a quick meaning test
Meeting or agreement: quedar with a person or time, or quedar en + infinitive: Quedé con Ana; Quedamos en hablarlo. In many regions, quedar en… is a natural way to make a plan.
Remaining quantity: quedar agrees in number with the noun or quantity that remains: Queda una silla; Me quedan dos páginas. An indirect-object pronoun can mark the person to whom something remains: me, te, le, nos, os, les.
Location or result: La estación queda cerca; La puerta quedó abierta. English wording depends on context, so read the whole sentence.
Staying or keeping: use the matching pronoun with quedarse: Me quedo aquí; Se quedó dormida. With con, it can mean keep or choose: Nos quedamos con la mesa grande.
Regional note: phrasing and preference for arranging to meet vary across Spanish. A clear learner pattern for keeping something is quedarse con + noun: Me quedo con el libro. Spanish also uses transitive forms such as Me quedo los apuntes and Me los quedo; the current RAE DLE records this use (U. t. c. tr.); the 2000 Cervantes note calls it colloquial and nonstandard under the norm it cites. Beginners can start with the explicit quedarse con pattern.
24 examples of quedar and quedarse
Read the complete sentence, not the verb alone. The final column highlights the pattern that signals the meaning.
| Spanish sentence | Meaning | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| Quedamos a las seis. | We agreed to meet at six. | Quedar arranges a meeting or records an agreement; look for a person, time, or en + infinitive. |
| ¿Quedamos mañana? | Shall we meet tomorrow? | Quedar arranges a meeting or records an agreement; look for a person, time, or en + infinitive. |
| Quedé con Ana en la plaza. | I arranged to meet Ana in the square. | Quedar arranges a meeting or records an agreement; look for a person, time, or en + infinitive. |
| Quedamos en hablarlo después. | We agreed to talk about it later. | Quedar arranges a meeting or records an agreement; look for a person, time, or en + infinitive. |
| Quedaron en verse el viernes. | They agreed to see each other on Friday. | Quedar arranges a meeting or records an agreement; look for a person, time, or en + infinitive. |
| ¿A qué hora quedamos? | What time shall we meet? | Quedar arranges a meeting or records an agreement; look for a person, time, or en + infinitive. |
| Queda una silla libre. | There is one chair left. | The verb agrees in number with what remains; an indirect-object pronoun can show for whom it remains. |
| Me quedan dos páginas. | I have two pages left. | The verb agrees in number with what remains; an indirect-object pronoun can show for whom it remains. |
| Queda poco café. | There is little coffee left. | The verb agrees in number with what remains; an indirect-object pronoun can show for whom it remains. |
| ¿Queda pan? | Is there any bread left? | The verb agrees in number with what remains; an indirect-object pronoun can show for whom it remains. |
| La estación queda cerca. | The station is nearby. | Quedar can identify where a place is in relation to another place. |
| ¿Dónde queda el museo? | Where is the museum? | Quedar can identify where a place is in relation to another place. |
| La puerta quedó abierta. | The door was left open. | Quedar describes the state or result reached. |
| El informe quedó listo. | The report ended up ready. | Quedar describes the state or result reached. |
| Quedó muy bien la foto. | The photo turned out very well. | Quedar describes the state or result reached. |
| Me quedo en casa esta noche. | I am staying home tonight. | Quedarse with the matching pronoun means to stay or remain in a place or state. |
| ¿Te quedas a cenar? | Are you staying for dinner? | Quedarse with the matching pronoun means to stay or remain in a place or state. |
| Nos quedamos hasta el final. | We stayed until the end. | Quedarse with the matching pronoun means to stay or remain in a place or state. |
| Se quedó dormido en el sofá. | He fell asleep on the sofa. | Quedarse with the matching pronoun means to stay or remain in a place or state. |
| Me quedo con esta copia. | I will keep this copy. | Quedarse con + noun is the standard learner pattern for keeping or choosing something. |
| ¿Te quedas con el libro? | Are you keeping the book? | Quedarse con + noun is the standard learner pattern for keeping or choosing something. |
| Nos quedamos con la mesa grande. | We chose the large table. | Quedarse con + noun is the standard learner pattern for keeping or choosing something. |
| Quedamos en el café; luego nos quedamos allí. | We arranged to meet at the café; then we stayed there. | The unmarked and pronominal forms serve different jobs in the same context. |
| Queda una habitación, pero me quedo en casa. | One room is left, but I am staying home. | The unmarked and pronominal forms serve different jobs in the same context. |
Sort the examples by the job the verb does
These groups separate meeting plans, what remains, locations and results, and the pronominal meanings of staying or keeping.
Arrange a meeting
Use quedar to make a plan with someone.
Quedamos a las seis. · ¿Quedamos mañana? · Quedé con Ana en la plaza. · Quedamos en hablarlo después. · Quedaron en verse el viernes. · ¿A qué hora quedamos?
Say what remains
Use quedar for items or time left.
Queda una silla libre. · Me quedan dos páginas. · Queda poco café. · ¿Queda pan?
Locate a place
Use quedar to say where somewhere is.
La estación queda cerca. · ¿Dónde queda el museo?
Describe a result
Use quedar for a state that results.
La puerta quedó abierta. · El informe quedó listo. · Quedó muy bien la foto.
Stay or remain
Quedarse focuses on the subject staying.
Me quedo en casa esta noche. · ¿Te quedas a cenar? · Nos quedamos hasta el final. · Se quedó dormido en el sofá.
Keep or choose
Quedarse con can express keeping or choosing.
Me quedo con esta copia. · ¿Te quedas con el libro? · Nos quedamos con la mesa grande.
Compare the patterns
One example shows how the pronoun used with a pronominal verb changes the meaning.
Quedamos en el café; luego nos quedamos allí. · Queda una habitación, pero me quedo en casa.
A closer look at the pronoun
The pronoun used with the pronominal verb quedarse agrees with the subject: Me quedo (I stay), Te quedas (you stay), Se queda (he, she, or you formal stay), Nos quedamos (we stay), Os quedáis (you all stay in Spain), Se quedan (they or you all stay). The pronoun is part of the verb pattern.
Keep the two patterns distinct: Me quedan dos páginas means “I have two pages left”; Me quedo con dos páginas means “I will keep two pages.” The first uses quedar for what remains, while the second uses quedarse con for keeping something.
Hola Cards is a Spanish flashcard app for iOS and Android. You can import these fixed examples into a custom group and practise them with Spanish audio, writing, pronunciation, and spaced review. The app does not determine which sense a speaker intends; use the sentence pattern and this guide.
Continue with Spanish pronouns, reflexive verbs, common verb contrasts, and complete example sentences.
Spanish reflexive pronouns Direct object pronouns Venir vs llegar Flashcards with example sentences
A five-minute practice routine
- Say one plan with Quedamos… and name a time or place.
- Describe one remaining item with Queda… or Me quedan…
- Use quedarse to say where you will stay tonight.
- Choose an item aloud with Me quedo con…
- Contrast Quedamos allí with Nos quedamos allí and explain the different meaning.
Language references
Meanings and usage patterns were checked against these Spanish-language references.
Frequently asked questions
Does quedar always mean “to meet”?
No. It can arrange a meeting, mean that something remains, locate a place, or describe a result. Read its complements and the rest of the sentence.
What does quedarse mean?
It commonly means to stay or remain in a place or state. Quedarse con algo often means to keep or choose something.
How do I conjugate quedarse in the present?
Attach the matching pronoun to the present forms: me quedo, te quedas, se queda, nos quedamos, os quedáis, se quedan.
What is the difference between quedar en and quedarse en?
Quedar en + infinitive can express an agreement, as in Quedamos en hablar. Quedarse en + place usually says where someone stays: Nos quedamos en casa.
Can quedar and quedarse be interchangeable?
Sometimes both describe remaining, but their grammar and focus differ. Use the full example and pronoun pattern rather than swapping them automatically.
Does Hola Cards explain which meaning applies?
The app lets you practise the fixed examples with audio and recall. The context and this guide explain the difference.
Copy the 24 examples into Hola Cards
Paste this Spanish-English set into a custom group to review each verb in a complete sentence.
**Quedar vs quedarse: 24 Spanish examples**
Quedamos a las seis. - We agreed to meet at six.
¿Quedamos mañana? - Shall we meet tomorrow?
Quedé con Ana en la plaza. - I arranged to meet Ana in the square.
Quedamos en hablarlo después. - We agreed to talk about it later.
Quedaron en verse el viernes. - They agreed to see each other on Friday.
¿A qué hora quedamos? - What time shall we meet?
Queda una silla libre. - There is one chair left.
Me quedan dos páginas. - I have two pages left.
Queda poco café. - There is little coffee left.
¿Queda pan? - Is there any bread left?
La estación queda cerca. - The station is nearby.
¿Dónde queda el museo? - Where is the museum?
La puerta quedó abierta. - The door was left open.
El informe quedó listo. - The report ended up ready.
Quedó muy bien la foto. - The photo turned out very well.
Me quedo en casa esta noche. - I am staying home tonight.
¿Te quedas a cenar? - Are you staying for dinner?
Nos quedamos hasta el final. - We stayed until the end.
Se quedó dormido en el sofá. - He fell asleep on the sofa.
Me quedo con esta copia. - I will keep this copy.
¿Te quedas con el libro? - Are you keeping the book?
Nos quedamos con la mesa grande. - We chose the large table.
Quedamos en el café; luego nos quedamos allí. - We arranged to meet at the café; then we stayed there.
Queda una habitación, pero me quedo en casa. - One room is left, but I am staying home.
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