quedó
/keh-DOH/
stayed
The dog stayed (quedó) in the house while its owners went out.
quedó(Verb)
stayed
?remaining in a place
,remained
?not moving away
was left
?an amount remaining
📝 In Action
Ella se quedó en la oficina hasta tarde.
A1She stayed in the office until late.
Solo quedó un trozo de pastel en el plato.
A2Only one piece of cake was left on the plate.
El perro se quedó dormido en el sofá.
A2The dog remained asleep on the sofa.
💡 Grammar Points
Role of 'Se' with Quedó
When you use 'se quedó' (reflexive), it emphasizes the action of staying somewhere intentionally or getting stuck. Without 'se' ('quedó'), it often means 'was left' or 'resulted'.
Simple Past (Preterite)
The 'quedó' form tells you about a single action that finished completely in the past (e.g., Yesterday, she stayed at the office).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Confusing Time
Mistake: "Usando 'quedaba' cuando quiero decir que la acción se terminó: 'Ella quedaba en casa anoche.'"
Correction: Use 'quedó' for finished actions: 'Ella quedó en casa anoche.' (She stayed home last night). Use 'quedaba' for continuous past states or habits.
⭐ Usage Tips
Location Check
Think of 'quedó' in this context as 'where did he/she/it end up?' or 'where did he/she/it stay?'
The blue jacket fit (quedó) the child perfectly.
quedó(Verb)
fit
?size of clothing
,looked
?appearance or result on someone
suited
?flattering appearance
📝 In Action
La chaqueta le quedó un poco grande.
A2The jacket fit him a little big (was a little big on him).
Ese color le quedó de maravilla.
B1That color looked wonderful on her.
💡 Grammar Points
Using Indirect Pronouns
When talking about fit, 'quedó' usually requires an indirect object pronoun (me, te, le, nos, os, les) to show who the clothes fit: 'Le quedó' (It fit him/her).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Omitting the Indirect Pronoun
Mistake: "Decir: 'La falda quedó bien.'"
Correction: Say: 'La falda le quedó bien.' (The skirt fit her well). You need the 'le' to indicate the person.
The bread turned out (quedó) delicious after being baked.
quedó(Verb)
turned out
?result or outcome
,ended up
?entering a final state
resulted in
?formal result
📝 In Action
Después de la pelea, él quedó muy enojado.
B1After the fight, he ended up very angry.
La casa quedó irreconocible después del incendio.
B2The house turned out unrecognizable after the fire.
💡 Grammar Points
Linking Verb to Adjective
In this sense, 'quedó' works like the English 'to become' or 'to turn out,' linking the subject (he, the house) to an adjective describing its new state (angry, unrecognizable).
⭐ Usage Tips
Result vs. Location
If 'quedó' is followed by an adjective (feliz, triste, claro), it means 'turned out.' If it's followed by a place (en casa, allí), it means 'stayed.'
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: quedó
Question 1 of 2
Which English translation best fits the sentence: 'El problema se quedó sin solución.'
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'quedó' and 'se quedó'?
'Quedó' (without 'se') often means 'it resulted,' 'it was left,' or 'it was located.' 'Se quedó' (with 'se') usually means 'he/she stayed' or 'he/she kept something,' emphasizing the subject's intentional action or permanent state.
Is 'quedó' used more for people or things?
'Quedó' is versatile! It's used for people (He stayed/He became), things (It was left), and abstract concepts (The matter was settled/The color looked good).