The preterite of quedar is used to express when someone stayed somewhere or when something remained in a particular state for a specific period in the past. For example, “I stayed at home yesterday” – “Me quedé en casa ayer.”
This is a regular -ar verb in the preterite tense. Its conjugation follows the standard pattern for -ar verbs, making it straightforward to learn and use.
Conjugations
Conjugations of Quedar (to stay/remain) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | quedé |
| Tú | quedaste |
| Él / Ella / Usted | quedó |
| Nosotros / Nosotras | quedamos |
| Vosotros / Vosotras | quedasteis |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | quedaron |
Boost Your Memorization with Audio!
We’ve included audio recordings of the the conjugations of Quedar (to stay/remain) in the Preterite (Past) Tense to help you learn faster.
Pro Tip: Play the audio on a loop as you study the chart. This repetition will solidify the correct conjugations in your memory.
Usage of Quedar in the Preterite (Past) Tense
The Preterite of quedar expresses completed states of remaining or staying.
To stay/remain (completed period): Used for finished periods of staying, for example Me quedé en casa todo el día (I stayed at home all day), or Se quedaron hasta el final (They stayed until the end).
To end up/turn out: Describes final state or outcome, for example La comida quedó perfecta (The food turned out perfect).
Examples
Examples of Quedar in the Preterite (Past) Tense
Me quedé en casa todo el día. (I stayed at home all day.)
¿Dónde quedaste con tus amigos? (Where did you meet up with your friends?)
La comida quedó deliciosa. (The food turned out delicious.)
Quedamos en vernos a las cinco. (We agreed to meet at five.)
Los libros quedaron en la biblioteca. (The books remained in the library.)
Me quedé sorprendido por la noticia. (I was surprised by the news.)
¿Te quedaste con las llaves? (Did you keep the keys?)
El café quedó muy dulce. (The coffee turned out very sweet.)
Quedamos en silencio después del anuncio. (We remained silent after the announcement.)
Las flores quedaron preciosas en el jarrón. (The flowers looked beautiful in the vase.)
Me quedé dormido durante la película. (I fell asleep during the movie.)
Quedaste en primer lugar en la competencia. (You ended up in first place in the competition.)
Todo quedó arreglado después de la reunión. (Everything was settled after the meeting.)
Quedamos satisfechos con el resultado. (We were satisfied with the result.)
Los documentos quedaron en mi escritorio. (The documents remained on my desk.)
Conjugations with English Translations
Conjugations of Quedar (to stay/remain) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo quedé | I stayed |
| Tú quedaste | You stayed |
| Él / Ella / Usted quedó | He / She / You (formal) stayed |
| Nosotros / Nosotras quedamos | We stayed |
| Vosotros / Vosotras quedasteis | You all stayed |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes quedaron | They / You all (formal) stayed |
This post covers Castilian Spanish. For Latin American Spanish, click here
Synonyms
The Preterite tense is also known as the Simple Past, Past Simple, Definite Past, Absolute Past, or Past Tense Indicative in English, and as Pretérito Perfecto Simple, Pretérito Indefinido, Pretérito Simple, Pasado Simple, or Pretérito de Indicativo in Spanish.