Learn how to use the verb "quedar"

If you study Spanish you have probably heard this verb more than once in your classes, in a conversation, on TV..., although it is quite possible that you still do not understand what it means exactly or how you should use it. If so, don't worry! Your doubt is the same as that of many other students, because the verb quedar has many uses and meanings.

In this article we want to help you better understand the verb quedar in Spanish. So read on or click here to switch to the English version of the article.

Quedar con alguien

Quedar con alguien means to meet a person intentionally, usually at a certain time and place. In other words, it is the verb we use to meet someone.

• Los domingos quedo con mis padres y vamos a comer fuera (On Sundays I meet up with my parents and we go to eat out).
• ¿Quedamos mañana para ir al cine? (Shall we meet tomorrow to go to the movies?)

Quedar as a result

In these sentences, quedar expresses the result or state in which something is found after an action or process.

• Después de la reforma, la casa ha quedado preciosa (After the renovation, the house has become beautiful)
• No quiero que uséis el móvil en clase. ¿Queda claro? (I don't want you to use your cell phone in class. Is that clear?)

Quedar for an agreement

Quedar en algo expresses 'to agree on something'. We can use this structure to express that we come to an agreement with someone.

• ¿Por qué no me has enviado todavía el informe? ¿No quedamos en que lo terminarías ayer? (Why haven't you sent me the report yet? Didn't we agree that you would finish it yesterday?)
• Para la boda, hemos quedado en que él se encarga del restaurante y yo del fotógrafo (For the wedding, we agreed that he would take care of the restaurant and I would take care of the photographer)

From this sense, we derive the question “¿En qué quedamos?” (What did we agree on?), an expression that we use to ask someone to decide between different options or alternatives:

• Ayer me dijiste que quieres empezar a ahorrar para tus vacaciones y ahora estás pensando en comprarte un coche nuevo. ¿En qué quedamos? Decídete. (Yesterday you told me that you want to start saving for your vacation and now you are thinking of buying a new car. What shall we agree on? Make up your mind)

Other uses

In these contexts, quedar indicates the point at which a process is at or the amount left over of something, as happens in the second sentence.

• Esta mañana me he gastado casi todo el dinero en el supermercado. Solo me quedan 20 € (This morning I spent almost all my money at the supermarket. I only have €20 left)
• Quedan 20 minutos para terminar la clase (There are 20 minutes left to finish class)

Quedar resembles in these cases the verb haber, since it expresses the existence or non-existence of something:

• No queda leche. ¿Puedes comprar antes de venir a casa por favor? (There is no milk left. Can you buy before you come home please?)
• ¿Queda alguna persona en la sala o ya han salido todos? (Is there any person left in the room or has everyone already left?)

The verb quedar can be used with adjectives and adverbs such as bien, mal, genial, etc. to indicate that a color, an article of clothing, or the like does or does not aesthetically favor a person or thing.

• Esa camiseta no te queda bien. No es tu talla. (That shirt doesn't fit you. It's not your size)
• Yo creo que el azul queda genial en este salón (I think the blue looks great in this living room)

While, when we use quedar bien/quedar mal con alguien, we express the idea of causing a good or bad feeling in a person:

• No puedes quedar bien con todo el mundo. A veces, alguien puede pensar que no eres simpático. (You can't look good to everyone. Sometimes, someone may think you are not nice)
• Estoy muy nervioso porque hoy voy a conocer a los padres de mi novia y no quiero quedar mal ante ellos (I'm very nervous because I'm going to meet my girlfriend's parents today and I don't want to look bad in front of them)

After all these examples and explanations, we hope that now the verb quedar has finally become clear to you and you have no doubt.