Double meaning: "Hemos quedado"

Ian B.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

Double meaning: "Hemos quedado"

Can "Hemos quedado" mean "we have arranged to meet" AND /OR  "we met"?    

Might it also be understood as "We stayed"?  I know quedarse should be used for staying somewhere.

Asked 4 years ago
InmaNative Spanish expert teacher in KwiziqCorrect answer

Hola Ian

It can also mean "we stayed [somewhere]" as long as you use it in its reflexive form "Nos hemos quedado en..." (We stayed in...) 

Saludos

Inma

InmaNative Spanish expert teacher in KwiziqCorrect answer

Hola Ian and R

The verb "quedar [con alguien]" doesn't have a very straight forward translation. Sometimes it is referring to the fact that you have arranged to meet someone, i.e. you've had a conversation with someone and have decided to meet somewhere at a certain time; if this is the case you'd say something like:

He quedado con Manuel en el bar a las 8.

I've arranged to meet with Manuel at the bar at 8.

But, using it exactly the same way, it could actually refer to the fact that you are going to see/ saw/have seen a friend. So this way, it is talking more of the result of that arrangement done previously. So, in this case, you may say for example:

-¿Vienes conmigo al cine?

-No puedo, he quedado con Luisa.

-Do you want to come to the cinema with me?

-I can't. I am meeting Luisa

or, for example, you can ask someone where to meet like this:

Nos vemos sobre las 8. ¿Dónde quedamos?

Let't meet at about 8. ¿Where shall we meet?

I hope this helped you understand better this specific use of quedar.

Saludos

Inma

R Z.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

I have the same question which I don't think was answered above. 

R Z.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

Following up on this, regarding the sentence "Hoy he quedado con Mark." how do we know whether it means "I have arranged to meet with Mark today" vs. "I have met with Mark today"? Above you say quedar can mean either to arrange to meet or to meet. 

Follow up, in the case of the interpretation, I have arranged to meet with Mark today", in English it is ambiguous whether "today" refers to the action of arranging the meeting or whether it refers to when the meeting is to take place. Does this ambiguity exist in Spanish as well? Put another way, I could say "Today I have arranged to meet with Mark next week" and it would clear up all ambiguity in English. The arranging happened today. The meeting is supposed to happen next week. If I don't include "for next week", it's unclear. Alternatively, if I said "I arranged a meeting with Mark today" that would indicate that the arrangement happened today as opposed to "I arranged a meeting with Mark *for* today" which indicates when the meeting will take place (today), but not when I discussed it with Mark. 

Ian B. asked:

Double meaning: "Hemos quedado"

Can "Hemos quedado" mean "we have arranged to meet" AND /OR  "we met"?    

Might it also be understood as "We stayed"?  I know quedarse should be used for staying somewhere.

Sign in to submit your answer

Don't have an account yet? Join today

Ask a question

Find your Spanish level for FREE

Test your Spanish to the CEFR standard

Find your Spanish level
I'll be right with you...