Inklingo

How to Say "to stay" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “to stay” is “quedar” — use 'quedar' when referring to not leaving a physical location, often implying a decision or plan to remain somewhere..

quedar🔊A1

Use 'quedar' when referring to not leaving a physical location, often implying a decision or plan to remain somewhere.

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quedarse🔊A1

Use 'quedarse' to indicate remaining in a place, especially when the focus is on the act of staying rather than the decision.

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quedarme🔊A1

Use 'quedarme' when you are staying in a specific place and want to emphasize that *you* are the one remaining there.

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quedarnos🔊A1

Use 'quedarnos' when a group (including yourself) is remaining in a specific location.

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permanecer🔊A2

Use 'permanecer' to talk about staying in a physical location, often suggesting a more formal or prolonged presence.

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mantenerte🔊A2

Use 'mantenerte' when advising someone else to remain in a particular emotional or physical state.

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mantenerme🔊A2

Use 'mantenerme' when you are talking about yourself remaining in a specific emotional or physical condition.

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mantenernos🔊A2

Use 'mantenernos' when a group (including yourself) needs to remain in a certain state or condition, like united or calm.

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mantenerse🔊B1

Use 'mantenerse' when referring to someone else (or oneself in a general sense) keeping in a certain condition, often related to health or appearance.

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mantener🔊B1

Use 'mantener' reflexively (as in 'mantenerse') when talking about oneself or others maintaining a certain state, like staying in shape or calm.

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English → Spanish

quedar

keh-DAHR/keˈðaɾ/

verbA1General
Use 'quedar' when referring to not leaving a physical location, often implying a decision or plan to remain somewhere.
A cozy interior scene showing a person sitting on a couch reading a book, while visible through a window, rain is falling heavily outside.

Examples

Me voy a quedar en casa por la lluvia.

I am going to stay home because of the rain.

Me voy a quedar en casa esta noche.

I am going to stay home tonight.

¿Te quedaste con el cambio?

Did you keep the change?

El niño se quedó dormido en el sofá.

The child fell asleep on the sofa.

Reflexive vs. Non-Reflexive

Using 'quedarse' (reflexive) emphasizes the decision to stay or the resulting state of the subject. 'Quedar' (non-reflexive) usually means what is left over, or where something is located.

Misplacing the pronoun in commands

Mistake: “Te queda en casa. (Stay home.)”

Correction: Quédate en casa. (Stay home.) – When giving positive commands, the reflexive pronoun (te) attaches to the verb.

quedarse

/keh-DAHR-seh//keˈðaɾse/

verbA1General
Use 'quedarse' to indicate remaining in a place, especially when the focus is on the act of staying rather than the decision.
A small, friendly brown dog sitting comfortably on a colorful striped rug inside a cozy wooden cabin, looking content and choosing to remain in place.

Examples

¿Te quedas en la fiesta hasta tarde?

Are you staying at the party until late?

¿Te quedas en casa esta noche?

Are you staying home tonight?

Nos quedamos tres días en el hotel.

We stayed at the hotel for three days.

Si no vienes, yo me quedo contigo.

If you don't come, I will stay with you.

The '-se' Ending

The '-se' part means the action bounces back to the person doing it. Here, it just reinforces that you are the one staying.

Using 'quedar' instead of 'quedarse'

Mistake: “Me quedo en casa. (Used correctly)”

Correction: Quiero quedar aquí. (Incorrect) -> Use 'quedarse' when talking about personally staying somewhere. 'Quedar' usually means 'to meet' or 'to fit'.

quedarme

keh-DAR-meh/keˈðaɾme/

verbA1General
Use 'quedarme' when you are staying in a specific place and want to emphasize that *you* are the one remaining there.
A cheerful person sitting relaxed in an armchair inside a room next to a window, illustrating the act of staying.

Examples

Prefiero quedarme en el hotel que ir a la playa.

I prefer to stay at the hotel rather than go to the beach.

Prefiero quedar en casa en vez de salir hoy.

I prefer to stay at home instead of going out today.

Necesito tiempo para pensar si quiero quedarme aquí o irme.

I need time to think about whether I want to remain here or leave.

¿Puedo quedarme a dormir en tu sofá esta noche?

Can I stay and sleep on your couch tonight?

The attached 'me'

The ending '-me' means 'myself' or 'for me'. When attached to the end of a verb like 'quedarme', it means the action of staying is directed back toward the speaker ('I').

Placement Rule

In compound verb phrases (like 'voy a + infinitive' or 'quiero + infinitive'), you can either attach the 'me' to the end (quiero quedarme) or put it before the conjugated verb (me quiero quedar). Both are correct!

Forgetting the 'me'

Mistake: “Cuando voy a visitar, yo quiero quedar en la casa.”

Correction: Cuando voy a visitar, yo quiero quedarme en la casa. (If you forget the 'me,' the verb 'quedar' means 'to meet' or 'to be left over,' not 'to stay.')

quedarnos

keh-DAHR-nos/keˈðaɾnos/

verbA1General
Use 'quedarnos' when a group (including yourself) is remaining in a specific location.
Two young friends sitting comfortably on a rug inside a brightly colored tent, smiling at each other, suggesting they are remaining in that location.

Examples

Nos quedarnos en Madrid por dos semanas más.

We are staying in Madrid for two more weeks.

Preferimos quedarnos en el hotel esta noche.

We prefer to stay in the hotel tonight.

Antes de salir, tenemos que quedarnos tranquilos y pensar.

Before leaving, we have to remain calm and think.

¿A qué hora vamos a quedarnos para cenar?

What time are we going to meet up for dinner?

The Reflexive 'Nos'

'Quedarnos' is the base verb 'quedar' with the reflexive pronoun 'nos' attached. This 'nos' means the action is done to or for 'us' (nosotros), making it 'we stay'.

Attaching the Pronoun

When using the infinitive form, the pronoun ('nos') is always attached to the end. The conjugated forms separate the pronoun: 'Nos quedamos' (We stay).

Forgetting the 'Nos'

Mistake: “Vamos a quedar aquí. (Using the non-reflexive 'quedar')”

Correction: Vamos a quedarnos aquí. (The reflexive 'quedarse' is needed when you mean 'to stay' or 'to remain' in a place.)

permanecer

pehr-mah-neh-SEHR/peɾ.ma.neˈseɾ/

verbA2General/Formal
Use 'permanecer' to talk about staying in a physical location, often suggesting a more formal or prolonged presence.
A loyal brown dog sitting patiently on a welcome mat in front of a brightly colored door, illustrating remaining in a physical location.

Examples

El equipo decidió permanecer en el campamento base.

The team decided to stay at the base camp.

Decidimos permanecer en casa por la tormenta.

We decided to stay home because of the storm.

El guardia debe permanecer en su puesto toda la noche.

The guard must remain at his post all night.

¿Cuánto tiempo puedes permanecer bajo el agua?

How long can you remain underwater?

The 'ZC' Change

In the 'yo' form of the present tense, the 'c' changes to 'zc' (permanezco). This happens to all verbs ending in '-ecer' like 'conocer' (conozco).

Forgetting the Irregularity

Mistake: “Yo permaneco en la oficina.”

Correction: Yo permanezco en la oficina. (Remember the 'zc' ending in the present tense 'yo' form.)

mantenerte

/man-teh-NEHR-teh//manteˈneɾte/

verbA2General
Use 'mantenerte' when advising someone else to remain in a particular emotional or physical state.
A person standing perfectly balanced on a single foot with arms outstretched, maintaining a steady posture, representing keeping oneself in a state.

Examples

Es importante mantenerte hidratado durante el ejercicio.

It is important to stay hydrated during exercise.

Tienes que aprender a mantenerte tranquilo en situaciones difíciles.

You have to learn to keep yourself calm in difficult situations.

¿Cómo logras mantenerte tan concentrado todo el tiempo?

How do you manage to stay so focused all the time?

Es difícil mantenerte al día con todas las noticias.

It's hard to keep yourself up to date with all the news.

The 'te' at the End

When you see a pronoun like 'te' attached to a verb, it usually means the action is happening to 'you.' Here, 'mantenerte' is the same as 'to keep you' or 'to keep yourself.'

When to Attach Pronouns

You can only attach pronouns (like 'te') to three verb forms: the infinitive (mantenerte), the gerund (manteniéndote), and the affirmative command (mantente).

Forgetting the Accent

Mistake: “Manteniendote (missing accent)”

Correction: Manteniéndote. When you add pronouns to the gerund, you almost always need an accent mark to keep the original stress pattern.

mantenerme

man-teh-NEHR-meh/manteˈneɾme/

verbA2General
Use 'mantenerme' when you are talking about yourself remaining in a specific emotional or physical condition.
A person stands perfectly still and balanced in the tree yoga pose on a lush green hill, illustrating remaining in a stable condition.

Examples

Intento mantenerme positivo a pesar de los desafíos.

I try to stay positive despite the challenges.

En una crisis, es vital mantenerme calmado.

In a crisis, it is vital to keep myself calm.

Tuve que esforzarme para mantenerme despierto.

I had to make an effort to stay awake.

Necesito mantenerme enfocado en el estudio.

I need to keep myself focused on studying.

Adjective Agreement

When 'mantenerme' is followed by an adjective (like 'calmado' or 'concentrado'), that adjective must agree in gender with the speaker. If the speaker is female, use 'mantenerme calmada'.

mantenernos

mahn-teh-NEHR-nohs/manteˈnernos/

verbA2General
Use 'mantenernos' when a group (including yourself) needs to remain in a certain state or condition, like united or calm.
Two people sitting calmly on a park bench under a large tree, looking peaceful.

Examples

Debemos mantenernos unidos como familia.

We must stay united as a family.

Debemos mantenernos unidos en los momentos difíciles.

We must stay united in difficult moments.

Hacemos ejercicio para mantenernos sanos.

We exercise to keep ourselves healthy.

Es importante mantenernos en contacto.

It is important for us to stay in touch.

The '-nos' ending

The suffix '-nos' is a pronoun that means 'us' or 'ourselves.' In Spanish, you can attach it directly to the end of the base verb (mantener) when it is in its original form.

Irregular root

This verb is based on 'tener' (to have). Just like 'tener' becomes 'tengo' and 'tuve,' 'mantener' becomes 'mantengo' and 'mantuve.'

Using the wrong person

Mistake: “Using 'mantenernos' when you mean 'myself.'”

Correction: Use 'mantenerme' for 'myself,' 'mantenerte' for 'yourself,' and 'mantenernos' ONLY for 'ourselves.'

mantenerse

mahn-teh-NEHR-seh/man.teˈneɾ.se/

verbB1General
Use 'mantenerse' when referring to someone else (or oneself in a general sense) keeping in a certain condition, often related to health or appearance.
A character standing firmly and perfectly still on a small, flat green hill, emphasizing remaining in a stable condition.

Examples

Ella se mantiene joven gracias a su dieta.

She stays young thanks to her diet.

Ella se mantiene muy activa a pesar de su edad.

She remains very active despite her age.

Necesitas mantenerte concentrado durante el examen.

You need to stay focused during the exam.

Si no te agarras, no te vas a mantener de pie.

If you don't hold on, you won't keep standing (keep your balance).

The '-se' Ending (Reflexive)

The '-se' means the action reflects back on the person doing it. Here, it means 'to keep/maintain oneself' in a certain state.

Irregularity Pattern

Like 'tener' (to have), the 'yo' form in the present tense uses '-go' (me mantengo), and the preterite (past simple) is completely irregular (me mantuve).

Forgetting the Reflexive Pronoun

Mistake: “Yo mantengo tranquilo. (Incorrect)”

Correction: Yo me mantengo tranquilo. (Correct). Remember the 'me, te, se, nos' is required when you mean 'to keep oneself'.

mantener

/man-teh-NEHR//manteˈneɾ/

verbB1General
Use 'mantener' reflexively (as in 'mantenerse') when talking about oneself or others maintaining a certain state, like staying in shape or calm.
A young adult character jogging energetically and smiling on a sunny path in a park, illustrating staying active and fit.

Examples

Para mantenerse en forma, es necesario hacer ejercicio.

To stay in shape, it is necessary to exercise.

Para mantenerse en forma, corre todas las mañanas.

To stay in shape, he runs every morning.

Me mantuve callado durante la reunión para no causar problemas.

I remained quiet during the meeting to not cause problems.

Es difícil mantenerse positivo con tantas malas noticias.

It's difficult to stay positive with so much bad news.

Doing it to Yourself

When 'mantener' has 'se' on the end (mantenerse), it means the action is being done by the person to themselves. 'Mantengo la casa limpia' (I keep the house clean) vs. 'Me mantengo activo' (I keep myself active).

Forgetting the 'se'

Mistake: “Yo mantengo en forma.”

Correction: Yo me mantengo en forma. Because you are keeping *yourself* in shape, you need the little word 'me' (or 'te', 'se', etc.) before the verb.

Location vs. Condition

The most common confusion is between verbs like 'quedar'/'quedarse' for physical locations and 'mantener'/'mantenerse' for states or conditions. Always ask yourself: Am I staying *somewhere*, or am I staying *in a certain way*?

Related Translations

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