guardar
/ɡwaɾˈdaɾ/
To keep in Spanish is guardar. Wiktionary also lists quedar.
Meaning: to maintain possession of (verb)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| guardar | /ɡwaɾˈdaɾ/ |
| quedar | /keˈdaɾ/ |
The translation of 'keep' depends on whether you are talking about storing something, retaining possession of it or maintaining a secret.
Which one should you use?
Use guardar when 'keep' means to put something in a safe place, to store it or to save it for later. Use the reflexive form quedarse con when 'keep' implies retaining possession of an object or deciding not to return it.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When using quedar to mean 'to keep' an object, it must be used in its reflexive form quedarse followed by the preposition con.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɡwaɾˈdaɾ/
Did you know?
- The Spanish word guardar actually comes from a Germanic root via Frankish, rather than directly from Classical Latin.
- The word guardar is related to the English word 'guard', which reflects its original sense of watching over or protecting something in a safe place.
- While guardar means to keep or store, it is also the standard verb used for 'saving' a digital file on a computer.
Examples in context
- Me voy a quedar este.I'm going to keep this one.This sentence shows the use of quedar for retaining an object.Tatoeba #7929822 by Seael, translation #7810992 by CK
- Sé guardar un secreto.I can keep a secret.This sentence shows the use of guardar for maintaining a secret.Tatoeba #2216761 by Shishir, translation #2130898 by Hybrid
- ¿Puedo quedarme con esto?Can I keep this?This sentence shows the reflexive use of quedar with con to express keeping an object.Tatoeba #580902 by Shishir, translation #55331 by CK
- Mantenga la puerta cerrada, por favor.Keep the door closed, please.
- Mantenga el nivel de ruido bajo.Keep the noise level low.
- Guarda el secreto, ¿vale?Keep the secret, okay?
- Guarda tu dinero para algo especial.Keep your money for something special.
- Conserva los buenos recuerdos.Keep the good memories.
- Conserva esa sonrisa en tu rostro.Keep that smile on your face.
- Por favor, mantenga la calma en momentos de crisis.Please keep calm in times of crisis.
- Mantenga la confidencialidad de estos documentos.Keep the confidentiality of these documents.
- Conserva esa energía para la fiesta más tarde.Keep that energy for the party later.
- Guárdalo en el cajón.Keep it in the drawer.
- Me quedo con el azul.I'll keep the blue one.
- 52 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Alejandro are cleaning a room together.
- Sofía¿Quieres tirar estos papeles viejos?Do you want to throw away these old papers?
- AlejandroNo, prefiero guardar algunos documentos.No, I prefer to keep some documents.
- Sofía¿Dónde vas a guardar todo eso?Where are you going to keep all that?
- AlejandroVoy a guardar los papeles en esta caja.I am going to keep the papers in this box.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “keep” translations and entries guardar, quedar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries guardar, quedar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
