Confused about Quedar and dejar in usage for left.

Question

Example for cases like...

I have 2 dollars left. Or I left my daughter at home.

Answer 1

Think of quedar more as "remain". Usage of quedar or dejar usually depends on whether the object in question is taking an action (remaining) or recieving an action (being left somewhere).

In the first sentence, you're really saying "Two dollars remain to me." In the second sentence, you're not saying "My daughter remains at home" because the focus is on your action: leaving her.

So here's how they would work:

Me quedan dos dólares. Dejé a mi hija en casa.

Una respuesta muy buena, Wenc :) - FELIZ77, Apr 18, 2011

¡gracias! - wenc3, Apr 18, 2011

De nada es bien merecido! :) - FELIZ77, Apr 18, 2011