A miracle, business etiquette, and the verb "quedar"

Hello friend,

We've got a five-minute featured story for you that just might have you praying to la Virgen de Guadalupe. After that, we dig into some of the nuances of doing business in Latin America, answer a question about the super flexible verb quedar, and round up some reads from across the web.

Featured story
La fe de Amalia

When Amalia Moreno's car is stolen, her entire life is thrown upside down. Her hard-earned independence is threatened, and all she can do is pray.

"En misa me encontré una… mi amiga, una señora mexicana, y… y me dice: 'Ven, vamos a… vamos a orar a la Virgen de Guadalupe'."

This feel-good, five-minute story from Radio Ambulante is set in Oakland, California, though Amalia hails from Guatemala. It features Soundbites related to time, the expression me da cosa, two different words for "pray," and the verb quedar.

Want to listen to the full story? Subscribe to unlock the entire catalog of Stories and Soundbites. 

Artwork by Pepa Ilustradora

ICYMI: Business etiquette in Latin America

This video explains the importance of punctuality, communication styles, and the role of business meals in fostering connections when doing business in Latin America. We go beyond usted versus tú, and talk greetings, attire, gifting, and more. 

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From the Jiveworld Community

Question: I saw your Instagram video on quedar. I didn't realize it had so many meanings. What are some others? And how do I know what people mean when they use it?

Answer: Quedar is very versatile and can be a bit tricky to navigate even for advanced language learners. The key to mastering quedar is context. Pay attention to the situation in which it's being used and the sentence structure.

Here are some examples:

1. "to meet" or "to make plans with someone"

In this case, quedar often comes with the preposition con.
Example: Voy a quedar con mis amigos en el cine. (I'm going to meet my friends at the movies.)

2. "to stay" or "to remain"

It implies something is remaining or staying in a certain state or condition.
Example: Después de la fiesta, solo quedaba una botella de vino. (After the party, only one bottle of wine remained.)

3. "to fit" or "to suit"

Typically used when talking about clothes or hairstyles, and often in the reflexive form quedarse. We mention this one in the video you saw.
Example: Ese vestido te queda bien. (That dress suits you well.)

4. "to agree"

When trying to reach a decision or agreement, quedar can be used.
Example: Quedamos en que tú limpiarías el coche. (We agreed that you would clean the car.)

Want even more info about quedar? Check out this YouTube video. 

What we're reading

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Team Jiveworld