Vocabulary
Learn Spanish: Pasar a vs. Quedarse a for Dropping In and Staying to Act
The short answer
Use pasar a plus an infinitive verb when someone travels to or drops by a place to carry out an activity, which commonly ranges from completing an errand to visiting someone for a meal.
Key points
- Use quedarse a plus an infinitive verb when someone chooses to stay or remain in a location rather than leaving, such as staying behind to take part in an activity.
- Choose pasar a when someone travels to or drops by a place to perform an action.
- Choose quedarse a when someone chooses to remain in place rather than leaving.
This lesson has 5 stages. You can stop at any time and continue later.
Stage 1 of 5
Understand
What it means, when to use it, and mistakes to avoid.
Examples
Paso a firmar el contrato en la oficina central.
I am stopping by to sign the contract at the main office.
Why it works: Signing the document is a brief transitional task.
2 more examples
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Nos quedamos a escuchar el concierto en la plaza mayor.
We are staying to listen to the concert in the main square.
The listeners remain in the square for the duration of the performance.
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Mi hermano pasa a saludar a los vecinos del segundo piso.
My brother is dropping by to say hello to the second-floor neighbors.
A short, neighborly greeting rather than a prolonged visit.
Read the full guide
Use pasar a for quick stops and brief errands
The problem: How do you explain that you are stopping by someone's home or office just for a quick task?
In situations where you drop by a place to handle a specific errand before moving on, pasar a followed by an infinitive verb naturally describes that stop.
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Paso a recoger las llaves antes de ir al trabajo.
I am dropping by to pick up the keys before going to work.
Why it works: In this context, the speaker drops by to handle an errand before heading onward.
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Marta pasa a saludar a su abuela por la tarde.
Marta is stopping by to say hello to her grandmother in the afternoon.
Why it works: A short, friendly visit rather than an open-ended stay.
Your turn
Choose the option that describes stopping by an office briefly to drop off documents.
Answer: Paso a dejar los documentos importantes.
Show the answer
Answer: Paso a dejar los documentos importantes.
In this errand context, use pasar a plus an infinitive to express dropping by a location to deliver documents.
Use quedarse a to remain in place for an activity
The problem: How do you describe choosing to remain at an event or gathering instead of leaving?
When you choose to stay in a location to take part in an activity that takes time, use the reflexive verb quedarse with a and an infinitive.
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Hoy me quedo a comer con mis compañeros de oficina.
Today I am staying to eat with my office coworkers.
Why it works: The speaker decides to stay at the location for the meal rather than leaving.
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Los chicos se quedan a estudiar en la biblioteca dos horas más.
The boys are staying to study in the library for two more hours.
Why it works: They remain in the building to engage in an extended study session.
You can practise this again in Learn Spanish: Pasar por vs. Pasar a for Stopping By and Transitioning and Learn Spanish: Pasar por vs. Pasar de for Stopping By and Passing On Things.
Your turn
Choose the sentence where someone stays at a friend's house to watch a film.
Answer: Nos quedamos a ver una película en casa de Carlos.
Show the answer
Answer: Nos quedamos a ver una película en casa de Carlos.
Quedarse a followed by an infinitive indicates remaining in place to participate in the activity.
Contrasting food errands with shared meals
The problem: How do you contrast grabbing takeaway food from staying to dine at the table?
Compare dropping by a place to get food with deciding to remain in a location to have a meal. The visit to pick up food uses pasar a, while remaining in place to eat uses quedarse a.
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Paso a buscar el almuerzo y vuelvo a la oficina.
I am stopping by to get lunch and returning to the office.
Why it works: Picking up food is a quick transit errand.
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Me quedo a almorzar en el restaurante con la familia.
I am staying to have lunch at the restaurant with the family.
Why it works: The speaker chooses to remain at the restaurant to have lunch rather than leaving.
Your turn
You are already at a friend's apartment. Which sentence expresses deciding to remain there for dinner rather than picking up food to go?
Answer: Te quedas a cenar con ellos esta noche.
Show the answer
Answer: Te quedas a cenar con ellos esta noche.
Quedarse a cenar expresses choosing to remain at the apartment for dinner rather than departing.
Matching reflexive pronouns when using quedarse a
The problem: Which pronoun must you use when different people decide to stay?
Because quedarse is reflexive, you must match the pronoun to the grammatical subject: me for yo, te for tú, se for él or ella, nos for nosotros, and se for ellos or ellas.
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¿Te quedas a cenar en casa de tus tíos?
Are you staying to have dinner at your aunt and uncle's house?
Why it works: The pronoun te matches the informal singular subject tú.
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Ella se queda a trabajar hasta las siete de la tarde.
She is staying to work until seven in the evening.
Why it works: The third-person pronoun se matches the subject ella.
Your turn
Select the correct form for 'We are staying to help with the cleanup.'
Answer: Nos quedamos a ayudar con la limpieza.
Show the answer
Answer: Nos quedamos a ayudar con la limpieza.
The subject 'we' requires the first-person plural reflexive pronoun nos with quedamos.
Using pasar a for social visits and shared meals
The problem: Can you use pasar a for social gatherings and meals rather than only quick errands?
Pasar a describes traveling to or dropping by a location for an intended activity. In social contexts, it can describe coming over to someone's home or gathering to take part in an activity, such as joining friends or family for lunch, dinner, or an afternoon snack.
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Los domingos paso a almorzar a casa de mis abuelos.
On Sundays I drop by to have lunch at my grandparents' house.
Why it works: The speaker travels to another home to share a full family meal.
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Marta pasa a merendar con nosotros esta tarde.
Marta is coming over to have an afternoon snack with us this afternoon.
Why it works: The visitor comes to the hosts' home for a relaxed social gathering.
Your turn
Choose the sentence where someone travels to a friend's apartment to have lunch.
Answer: Carlos pasa a almorzar a mi departamento.
Show the answer
Answer: Carlos pasa a almorzar a mi departamento.
Use pasar a plus an infinitive when someone travels to another location to share a meal.
Choosing by location: coming from outside or remaining in place
The problem: How does a person's current location decide whether to use pasar a or quedarse a?
A person's current location often serves as a helpful contextual clue. In everyday conversations, asking someone who is away if they will pasar a usually invites them to drop by, while asking a guest who is already present if they will quedarse a invites them to remain rather than leave.
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¿Pasas a tomar un café a mi casa después del trabajo?
Are you coming over to have coffee at my house after work?
Why it works: The person is currently at work and would travel to the speaker's house.
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Ya estás aquí en la sala, ¿te quedas a tomar un café?
You are already here in the living room, are you staying to have coffee?
Why it works: The guest is already inside, so the question asks whether to remain instead of leaving.
Your turn
A friend is already sitting in your kitchen. Which question invites them to remain for a cup of tea instead of leaving?
Answer: ¿Te quedas a tomar una taza de té con nosotros?
Show the answer
Answer: ¿Te quedas a tomar una taza de té con nosotros?
Because the friend is already inside your home, use quedarse a to invite them to stay rather than depart.
Coordinating visits: dropping by without staying to participate
The problem: How do you explain that you will visit to do one thing, but cannot stay to do another?
In everyday plans, you often combine both expressions to clarify boundaries. Use affirmative pasar a to describe the action you will come by to do, and negative no quedarse a to explain that you cannot remain for an extended activity.
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Paso a dejar este libro, pero no me quedo a almorzar.
I am dropping by to return this book, but I am not staying to have lunch.
Why it works: The speaker confirms the visit while politely explaining that they cannot stay for the meal.
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Mi hermano pasa a saludar, pero no se queda a cenar.
My brother is dropping by to say hello, but he is not staying for dinner.
Why it works: He comes by for the visit, but will not remain in the house for the evening meal.
Your turn
Choose the sentence that confirms you will drop by to return a book, but cannot stay to chat.
Answer: Paso a devolver el libro, pero no me quedo a charlar.
Show the answer
Answer: Paso a devolver el libro, pero no me quedo a charlar.
Use pasar a for the action you drop by to do, and no quedarse a to clarify that you cannot remain to chat.
Before you go
Remember this
Choose pasar a when someone travels to or drops by a place to perform an action. Choose quedarse a when someone chooses to remain in place rather than leaving.
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Explain in Spanish that you are dropping by a colleague's desk to deliver a folder, but you cannot stay for coffee because you have a meeting.
You could start with “Paso a dejar esta carpeta en el escritorio de mi compañero,…”
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