What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the reflexive verb quedarse (to stay/remain oneself) and the prepositional phrase en casa (at/in house).
Which one should you use?
Quédese en casa and Permanezca en casa are used for formal commands, whereas Quédate en casa is used for informal commands. Additionally, No salgas de casa can be used informally to specifically request that someone does not leave the house.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the informal second person singular, the reflexive pronoun se changes to te to match the subject, as in te quedas en casa (you stay home).
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often omit the reflexive pronoun, such as saying quedar en casa without the reflexive. In Spanish, the reflexive form quedarse is required to express the state of remaining in a place.
Did you know?
- The verb quedarse can also mean 'to become' when describing a change in state, such as quedarse dormido for 'falling asleep'.
- If you want to say you are staying home to rest, you might use 'quedarse en casa de tranquis', a colloquial way to say you are staying home to be calm or chill.
- The word casa comes from the Latin word for 'cottage' or 'hut'. While it now means any home from a shack to a mansion, it originally described a humble rural dwelling.
Examples in context
- Lo mejor es quedarse en casa.It's best to stay home.This sentence is useful for expressing what is best regarding staying home.Tatoeba #8668415 by arh, translation #9189355 by DJ_Saidez
- Tom quería quedarse en casa con María.Tom wanted to stay home with Mary.This sentence shows how to express a desire to stay home with someone.Tatoeba #2249936 by marcelostockle, translation #2033622 by CK
- Él planea quedarse en casa esta noche.He is planning to stay home tonight.This sentence illustrates using the phrase to describe someone's plans for the night.Tatoeba #10082657 by manufrutos, translation #10081799 by Cabo
- Por favor, permanezca en casa hasta nuevo aviso. Es vital para nuestra salud colectiva.Please stay at home until further notice. It is vital for our collective health.
- Amigo, quédate en casa y cuida de ti y de tu familia. Juntos podemos superar esto.Friend, stay at home and take care of yourself and your family. Together we can overcome this.
- Chicos, no salgan de casa sin una razón importante. Debemos asegurarnos de protegernos mutuamente.Guys, don't leave the house without a good reason. We must make sure to protect each other.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Alejandro are discussing their plans for a rainy afternoon.
- LucíaEstá lloviendo mucho hoy.It is raining a lot today.
- AlejandroEs mejor quedarse en casa.It is better to stay home.
- Lucía¿Quieres ver una película, Alejandro?Do you want to watch a movie, Alejandro?
- AlejandroSí, me parece un buen plan.Yes, that sounds like a good plan.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries casa, en, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
