Need help with my grammar, please.

Question

Hola to all hispanohablantes, I need help with my grammar. What is the best way of saying: I had to meet my friends in a restaurant for lunch. do I say: Tuve que quedar a mis amigos en un restaurante para almorzar. ???

"quedar con" - comunacho, Jun 20, 2013

gracias - 00a50c57, Jun 20, 2013

Answer 1

Kiwi girl has given you a great answer, and I would agree with her in most respects, except that I would not use quedar at all, as mentioned in my answer below: Feliz

Of course there will be regionally preferred ways of saying that you're going to meet up with some one but actually this is quite a common use of quedar (nb: not the pronominal form quedarse)

Quedar. : to meet

A very common use of quedar is “to meet”, eg. when making arrangements.

Quedamos a las ocho – We’re meeting at eight o’clock.

He quedado con Ángel en la plaza mayor – I’m meeting Ángel in the Plaza Mayor.

In this case the use of the verb is very straightforward.

Quedar : to meet up

Gracias. - 00a50c57, Jun 20, 2013

De nada :) - Kiwi-Girl, Jun 20, 2013

Kiwi why does the perfect indicative (past) He quedado translate to the present indicative in English? This seems very strange to me ! - FELIZ77, Jun 20, 2013

Come to think of it, Kiwi, I have seen this form written down but seldom heard it spoken before in Spain Thank you, I may use it :) - FELIZ77, Jun 20, 2013

I mean, I might use it :) - FELIZ77, Jun 20, 2013

Answer 2

Kiwi girl has given you a great answer, and I would agree with her in most respects, except that I would not use quedar at all, as mentioned in my answer below:

Tenía que reunirme con mis amigos en un restaurante para almorzar.

or Tenía que encontrarme con mis amigos en un restaurante para almorzar

I had to meet/meet up with my friends at a restaurant for lunch.

reunirse = to meet (up) with someone/to get together Often used for talking about family reunions.

Please note the difference between:

1. encontrarse con = to meet up with someone. ie: a planned meeting.

and ...

1. encontrar = to meet /stumble across by accident/to find

I would not use the verb quedar which means to stay.

The verbs quedarse and alojatrse are used when talking about staying in accommodation such as a hotel while on holiday. Nos quedaremos en un hotel en Madrid.= We will be staying in a hotel in Madrid. Quedarse and permanecer mean to stay/remain.

I hope this helps

Thank you Feliz. Your information is precious. - 0095ca4c, Jun 20, 2013

Muchísimas gracias por la explicación. - EugenioCosta, Jun 20, 2013

Hey Feliz you may be interested in the info about quedar meaning 'to meet up with' that I've posted below :) - Kiwi-Girl, Jun 20, 2013

gracias - 00a50c57, Jun 20, 2013

De nada, todos :) - FELIZ77, Jun 20, 2013

Answer 3

It depends on context but I would suggest:

Tenía que encontrarme/quedar con mis amigos en un restaurante para almorzar.

Unless you're referring to a specific moment when you had to meet your friends then it would be tuve que.

gracias - 00a50c57, Jun 20, 2013

Answer 4

As a general rule, with only a few exceptions, and through many languages around the world, the speaker who has nothing but a supposedly Standard Language, is nine times out of ten either a foreigner, was raised by academics or media "personas", or belongs to some otherwise isolated social subset, ranging from the religious to the economic.

Answer 5

"Why were you at the restaurant so early in the morning?"

"I was having to meet my friends."

Answer 6

Actually, "I was having to meet my friends" does occur now and then in certain areas but has long ago been outlawed by the supposed "Standard English" folk--as if there were such a thing, except as a class construction.