Spanish Phrase
Me voy a quedar diez días.
Meaning
This phrase literally translates to "I go to stay ten days," but it's understood as "I am going to stay for ten days." It uses the common Spanish construction "ir a + infinitive" to express a near future action, similar to "going to do something" in English. The verb "quedarse" means "to stay" or "to remain."
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to inform someone about the duration of your stay in a particular place. It's perfect for travel plans, visiting friends or family, or when discussing the length of a temporary residence. It's a direct and common way to express future duration.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Mevoy aquedardiez días
Me voy a
This is the reflexive pronoun 'me' combined with the conjugated verb 'ir' (to go) in the present tense, followed by 'a'. It forms the periphrastic future, meaning 'I am going to...'
quedar
This is the infinitive form of the verb 'quedarse' (to stay). When used with 'ir a', the infinitive follows directly. The 'se' from 'quedarse' becomes 'me' because the action is performed by and on the speaker.
diez días
This indicates the duration of the stay. In Spanish, when specifying a number of days, weeks, or months, you often don't need a preposition like 'por' (for) before the duration.
🗨In Conversation
¿Cuánto tiempo te vas a quedar en Madrid?
How long are you going to stay in Madrid?
Me voy a quedar diez días.
I'm going to stay ten days.
✕Common Mistakes
Voy a quedar diez días.
The verb 'quedar' without the reflexive pronoun 'me' often means 'to remain' or 'to be left over,' not 'to stay' in a place. For 'to stay,' use the reflexive form 'quedarse'.
Me quedo diez días.
While grammatically correct, using the present tense 'me quedo' implies a current or habitual action. For a planned future action, 'me voy a quedar' or the future simple 'me quedaré' is more appropriate.
Me voy a quedar por diez días.
While 'por' can indicate duration, it's often omitted when specifying a number of days, weeks, or months directly after the verb 'quedarse'. The duration is implied.
↔Alternatives
Me quedaré diez días.
I will stay ten days.
Estaré aquí diez días.
I will be here ten days.
Voy a pasar diez días.
I'm going to spend ten days.
Cultural Tip
In Spanish-speaking cultures, it's common to be quite direct about travel plans and durations. This phrase is straightforward and widely understood. When visiting someone's home, it's polite to clearly state your intended length of stay to help with planning, but also be prepared for hosts to insist you stay longer if they enjoy your company!