quedarse quieto
/kedaɾse kjeto/from spelling rules
To stand still in Spanish is to say quedarse quieto.
The phrase is used when you want someone to remain motionless.
Meaning: to remain motionless (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the reflexive verb quedarse (to stay/remain) and the adjective quieto (still/motionless).
How does it change in a sentence?
For a single person in an informal command, use quédate quieto. If you are telling more than one person to stand still, the adjective quieto must agree in number and become quietos (masculine/mixed) or quietas (feminine).
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking countries, ¡Quieto! is the standard command used by police or security forces to tell a suspect to freeze during an arrest.
- While quedarse quieto means to be motionless, using the verb quedarse in other contexts can mean 'to become' or 'to end up', such as quedarse calvo meaning 'to go bald'.
- The word quieto shares the same root as the English word 'quiet'. While 'quiet' usually refers to sound in English, in Spanish quieto focuses on the absence of physical movement.
Examples in context
- Permanezca quieto, señor.Stay still, sir.
- Manténgase quieta, señora.Stay still, ma'am.
- Quédate quieta, quiero tomar una foto.Stand still, I want to take a picture.
- ¡Quédate quieto para la foto!Stand still for the photo!
- El niño no se podía quedarse quieto.The boy could not stand still.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
