Quedarse de a seis
/keh-DAR-seh deh ah SAYS/
To be stunned, speechless, or completely surprised; to be gobsmacked.
💡 Understanding the Idiom
🎨 Literal vs. Figurative
Literally, this means 'to be left of a six'.
In practice, it means to be completely stunned or speechless.
Key Words in This Idiom:
📝 In Action
Cuando me dijo que se casaba, me quedé de a seis. ¡No tenía ni idea!
B2When she told me she was getting married, I was gobsmacked. I had no idea!
El mago hizo desaparecer el elefante y todo el público se quedó de a seis.
B2The magician made the elephant disappear and the entire audience was dumbfounded.
📜 Origin Story
The most popular theory for this idiom comes from an old Spanish card game called 'el truque' or 'truc'. In this game, getting a hand with three sixes was one of the worst possible plays. It left the player with no good moves, essentially paralyzed and speechless—'de a seis'.
⭐ Usage Tips
For Big Surprises
Use this when something leaves you genuinely shocked or speechless. It’s for moments of total disbelief, not just minor surprises. Think lottery wins, shocking plot twists, or incredible news.
❌ Common Pitfalls
It's Not About The Number Six
Mistake: "Using this phrase to say you literally have six items remaining, like 'En la tienda, me quedé de a seis manzanas'."
Correction: This is a fixed expression for shock. To talk about having six things left, you would just say 'me quedan seis' without the 'de a'. The phrase only works as a whole unit to mean 'stunned'.
🌎 Where It's Used
Spain
Very common and widely used, especially in informal conversation.
Latin America
Less common. While it might be understood in some countries, local expressions for 'to be shocked' (like 'quedarse helado' or 'quedarse con la boca abierta') are often preferred.
🔗 Related Idioms
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: Quedarse de a seis
Question 1 of 1
If your friend 'se quedó de a seis' after hearing your news, how did they react?
🏷️ Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use 'quedarse de a cinco' or another number?
No, this is a fixed expression. It must always be 'de a seis'. Changing the number would make it sound strange and it would lose its idiomatic meaning.