To Stay or Not to Stay? That is the Question!

Welcome back Teachifyers to another edition of Simply Amazing English. This week’s newsletter could be useful for both native and non-native speakers, particularly during conversations between natives and non-natives of English! It’s all about the verb to STAY. When do we use it? When don’t we use it? And what can you use instead of STAY if you have a habit of using it incorrectly?

Firstly, what does to STAY actually mean in English?

To stay means to be in a particular place or with a person or group of people and not leave that place, that person or those people. Most commonly, it is translated as QUEDARSE in Spanish.

However, QUEDAR or QUEDARSE in Spanish can have many different translations in English. Here, we will focus on one in particular. It can mean ‘to hang out with’, ‘to spend time with’ or ‘to meet up with’. In this case, we wouldn’t use the verb to STAY because it indicates that you won’t leave the people or place involved.?

For example, ‘este fin de semana voy a quedar con algunos amigos’.?

The translation - ‘I am going to STAY with some friends this weekend’ would indicate that you will go to somewhere and spend the weekend there.?

The translation - ‘I’m going to hang out / meet up with some friends’ would indicate that you have a specific plan with friends but you won’t be with them all weekend.?

In future newsletters we can take a look at other uses of the verb QUEDAR(SE) in English, because it doesn’t always mean to stay!?

Until next time, Teachifyers!?