Quedarse in the past with feeling

Question

I don’t understand the use of quedarse in this sentence: “me quedé gratamente sorprendido”. It means I was pleasantly surprised. Why not use a form of estar in the preterite to express surprise? Unless this is a phrase used or has another meaning? I thought quedarse meant to stay. Thanks!

Silvia Piriz · Accepted Answer

Hola Samantha S.
Thank you for your question! While "quedarse" often means 'to stay', it can also be used idiomatically to express a change of state, particularly with emotions or reactions. In the sentence "me quedé gratamente sorprendido", "quedarse" is used to convey a sudden or lasting reaction, in this case, being pleasantly surprised.
In Spanish, "quedarse" with an emotion or state often implies that the feeling had a strong or somewhat unexpected impact, similar to saying 'I ended up being pleasantly surprised' or 'I found myself pleasantly surprised.'
Using "estar" in the preterite ("estuve sorprendido") would not carry the same nuance. "Estar" is more neutral, while "quedarse" adds a sense of the transition into that state.
I hope this helps! Let me know if you need more examples or if this still feels unclear.
Feliz semana
Silvia