Spanish "quedar" meaning something has or has not changed
I think quedar is one of the most confusing verbs in Spanish. Take a verb like "correr" which is more typical of Spanish verbs: although it can mean many different things in English, it usually maintains a sense of fast movement in one sense or another. "Quedar", as in today's example, can even have completely opposite meanings.
The first example is when something has not changed. It frequently goes along with "sin" and the infinitive. Examples:
Spanish:
1. La casa quedó sin terminar.
2. El documento quedó sin firmar.
3. La situación quedó como antes.
English:
1. The house was not finished.
2. The document was not signed.
3. The situation stayed the same as before (or) The situation didn't change.
Now here's another use which indicates some sort of change: it usually shows the result of some experience:
Spanish:
1. Quedamos muy cansados después de la caminata.
2. Mis amigos quedaron contentos con el hotel en Madrid.
3. Ella (se) quedó embarazada poco después de casarse.
English:
1. We ended up very tired after the hike.
2. My friends were happy with the hotel in Madrid.
3. She got pregnant shortly after getting married.
I'll be writing about uses of "quedar" as time goes on. If you have any examples which you find puzzling, you can send them to me using the Contact link above.
Brad
